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Super Eagles legend Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha has revealed that a move to Bayern Munich fell through in 1991 because the German club could not give him a professional contract at the age of 17, Footynaija reports.
Okocha said Bayern invited him to join their youth team for a tournament in Switzerland. His performances impressed the club, which then wanted to sign the young Nigerian.
“I got an offer from Bayern Munich. I went with their youth team to a tournament in Switzerland, and after that, they wanted to sign me,” Okocha said on the Obi One Podcast.
However, Bayern told Okocha that German rules prevented the club from giving him a professional contract until he turned 18 in August.
“Bayern made me an offer, but it was only verbal because they said, ‘We can’t give you a professional contract until you turn 18.'”
The teenager wanted written proof before making the move from Nigeria.
“I asked them, ‘Can you put it in writing on paper? Because I can’t come all the way from Nigeria to rely on a verbal contract. What if I get injured and you tell me to go home? I’ll have nothing?'”
Okocha then returned to Germany and joined third-tier Borussia Neunkirchen. Eintracht Frankfurt later signed him, starting a Bundesliga career that produced 90 appearances and 18 goals between 1992 and 1996.
Okocha said he was ready to accept the risk at Bayern because he would have trained with the senior players and played for the reserves.
“I would have had to train with the professionals and play with the reserve team, but I was willing to take the risk because they were the biggest club in Germany,” he said.
