KSA and SPVGG Greuther Furth Join Forces: SDH AM 5/2/25

I wish I had like a drum roll or something, but I don't have a drum roll ready, and then I'd have to jack up the volume. It's time to talk about something really really cool between KSA and SBBGG ruther Firth in in the Bundesliga. So we bring in kareem to Mimi of KSA. We bring in Timo.

Sheeler of ruther Firth. I'm gonna fix the shot. There we go.

So gentlemen, Hi, and welcome on a Friday. The chaos has already started.

Hi, thanks for having us.

All right, So, uh, this is a really cool relationship and I'm going to start with with Timo, considering you have been the one who has.

Traveled the farthest here.

How did this relationship with ruther Firth and KSA come to be?

What was the first conversations?

Like?

Well, it started with the mutual passion for using football more than just a gab, you know, as a way to teach values and open doors for young people playing soccer.

And when we were introduced to Colunty Soccer Academy, it was immediately clear that they are doing something real special over here in Atlanta because they are working developing not only young players, of young people, you know, and giving them discipline, respect and ambition and met aligned perfectly without club philosophy in Germany of the sweet run in Row First.

So kareem, how far back are we talking? How far back do we know that these conversations started to get to this point to where we are with Ruth First and ks.

It's been really recent, you know, it's been about a few months as I've been also nominated as one of the director of the program here in Georgia.

So yeah, it's pretty recent.

And so what is it? What was kream? What was the first date? Like? What was what were those first conversations?

Like?

Was it long? Over? Was it over?

Zoom?

Was was it conversations? Was it meals breaking bread? What was what was what was the first date?

Like with you two?

So to be honest, Scotch Bruno the owner of KSA.

He is the one who was in relation with mister Lynch, right, So mister Lynch was working with with Firth and he was taking care of one of the ks players that was in Germany, Fraser his name, and Fraser wanted listen to mister Lynch if you need anything in Atlanta. I know a great club there And the coincidence was that Firth and mister Lynch were working with Hoffmann. So Offman is the company that is here in Atlanta, and they made the link. Mister Robin came about two months ago.

Timo Schieler from SBVGG grew through birth and kareem to me me from KSA hanging out with It's your Batton leadoff on the morning show. So, Timo, when when you came across this relationship with KSA to begin with, what has it been like to see that the that the relationship can grow over the ocean, that they can be this mutual thing where okay, you have your philosophy, we have ours.

It meshes.

What's it like to see that kind of a relationship and that kind of kindred spirit well, you know.

As Kareem said, it didn't require a long discussion in our club when we started thinking about that, because from the first in the action, it fell right and it feld it was the right thing to do. And we saw the the.

And thin a tegrity behind KSA's work, and we knew that.

The kind of partner we researched for it, we want it. And also thanks to the support of Postmon which is our main sponsor in Germany, you have the name on our jerseys and they are a value sponsors even in the United States, sitting here in Atlanta as well. And so that was the reason we were able to move forward very quickly, and of course with the real commitment to the to the topic, which is very important for both of us.

You mentioned commitment, and you mentioned philosophy and personality and all of that. Uh, when the club I know has a grand vision of how they would like these things to be, how these how these relationships can come about and grow and and continue to grow the game in a perfect world, what is gruther Firth looking for as it continues to grow its footprints and grow the game? What is the club looking forward to the most in these relationships.

Well, you know, we are.

Even we are a one hundred and twenty year old club founded in nineteen oh three and the playing in the German Sundesliga. We are we are, We care about the people and we didn't come over with the idea to know it better because we are a German professional soccer club and soccer a long tradition in Germany. We used to learn from from Atlanta, from from Ksa, from from Atlanta's people. It's culture. Because we don't pretend that we know what it's best. We want to we want

And of course it would be.

Great, it would be a dream for see sometime a young player coming from Atlanta over to Third and wearing our jersey and playing as a professional soccer player in Germany, whether in our club or in another. But that's far away. Yeah, to start from, we're here to building bridges to understand the culture and to get in touch with each other and to care about the people, because that's the most important thing. That the philosophy of our club and the Ksa here in Atlanta.

Kareem, what excites you the most and what excites k say the most about this?

So me personally, I said, it was excitingly the most. It's I'm from Europe. I'm from France. I came twenty twenty here in America, and you know, as everyone knows, soccer is growing here in America. So I think is the right time, the right place to really focus on these sports and to give opportunity to the kids and also to the underprivileged kids. That's why kaid do mostly

And also it's an honor of course to have a.

Club like like rut Firth to be able to sustain that. And and like you said, they came really humbly, you know, really to watch our culture because of course.

It's a different continent, it's a different philosophy. Here it's soccer there, it's football.

So so yeah, that's really something that is coming naturally.

I would say it's the beginning of it, to be.

Honest with Shoot's my first time putting a face on Timo, my first time seeing him. I would see later on the three event. Yeah, yeah, you've been busy. He came two days ago. You had meetings and meetings and meetings, you know. So so yeah, it's a pleasure. I will see today tonight on the three v three event. And I've seen other coaches as well from the club and it's only been great. And I'm also learning, you know, a lot of things sharing and it's all about that

And I do want to talk about the three v three event before we get out of here, so folks can go and see what's going on.

How much of a learning experienced Temo has it been for you.

I know that literally apparently you've only been here for forty eight hours. But obviously there have been conversations and such about how you want ruther Firth to impact what's going on here, how you like kas say, the impact what's going on over there in Germany, whether it's with personnel, personality, philosophy. What have you How much of an education has it been for you and the club.

Well, we've learned that the great football and work is happening all over the world and sometimes in.

Places that get overlooked in the global spotlight. Yeah on soccer.

But KSA has shown us what it means to truly support young people and not just becoming better players, but becoming strong individuals. And that is one important thing for our youth development because if you if you are a soccer club and you work with four to five hundred kids and youth players, for sure not each of them will become a professional soccer player.

So we're looking.

To give them the skills, to give them the values that they can make it in lives wherever life may take them, even if they are not becoming a professional soccer player, you know. And that's our mission at the street itembroiderfill two. And that's the way KSA is looking on developing young young players. Feel hungry and uh the most important thing to build characters. Yeah, with resilient opportunity, giving and target in life so they can take it wherever life takes them.

What is it like Timo for the club to to have a relationship that seemed to be really quick in coming together, that seems to be out of the blocks, to be a relationship that is very symbiotic, that there is the same kind of messaging. What's it like to stumble across a partner like this and have things happen as quickly as this seems to have.

Well, of course, because you're a small club, not too much of stuff, so the quickness overturned a.

Little bit, and it's very very very hard to to get you things keep them going and all the all the networking doing over here, talking with Posmon and the department they have over here in Atlanta, and after all, I think that the developing the talent is one of our our most space in Burg in Germany, and KSA has the same focus over here and also Atlanta United, which we will meet on match day on Saturday.

It's focused on that because you have to.

Get the young players out of out of nothing, maybe you have to find it, you have to educate them, you have to develop them then making them ready to getting any professional.

Sports and professional soccer in.

Our in our lives. So that is always a big asset and you don't have much time. You have to be the first, You have to be fast, because otherwise another club will.

Get those talents. And so soccer is.

A is a very quick business and therefore it's no problem that everything went very quick and fast with that partnership.

Right now, all right, kareem tell everybody about the event this weekend, what's going on and how folks can get to see what this relationship up close and personal.

Let me let them have it. What's going on?

Yeah, tonight as EXPM at Workspan part it's a three v three event. It's really more to celebrate the collaboration between ks and Ruther Firth.

It's all about fun.

You know, it's gonna be music and it's gonna be a three v three event where we're inviting all the Georgia players from you thirteen to nineteen. It's not This program is not just about KSA. It's really about also all the players in Georgia, doesn't matter if they Plumels next, if they play CNL, if they play any other.

League in Georgia.

We also Router providing five sessions online and on field as well, and we're also evaluating the players following their development and then at the end we give them the opportunity maybe to go in Germany in the summer. So it's really to present the program and to invite simply the youngers to come have fun and.

Collaborate. Sorry, just showing the collaboration that we have with KISS.

And absolutely it's going to be a really cool six to eight Rock Springs turf Field in Lawrenceville tonight. Once again, there there are rules. Apparently there are rules. Once again, it's that's going to be a rest. So it's you thirteen, U fourteen, you fifteen, U sixteen, U seventeen, U eighteen, you get signed jerseys from the first team for players, real time exposure to international scouts once again, six to

All of that? Yeah, we had to We had a lot of meeting with our Apartment of Housemann.

As I said, before, we meet with the Atlanta National School at centrom because we we want.

To understand the culture.

That's what I what I told Yeah, and.

Meek meetings will come up.

Of course, we're very excited looking forward to meeting Atlanta United tomorrow making the same sports. But we've also been with the Atlanta Braiks yesterday and geting in touch with them baseball sport and that not as popular as it is in the States in Germany, to to understand what are the topics of them and how they work and building building fans, building partnerships. So you see, it's a big range of topics and seeings and meetings we do over here. And yeah, looking forward to see the match

Yeah, it is Southern hospitality, and you know that folks, they're going to be they're going to be grabbing you by the collar and say, hey, you've got to come over here and look at this. Hey you got to come over here and look at this. Skaream is going to have to grab you by the back of the by the back of the neck.

And go like dude, we're on the clock.

Man, we got wet yeah well yeah yeah. Kareem, you've got your personal security, and you're probably gonna leave here about ten pounds heavier than you did when you showed up, just because of all the eating that you're gonna be doing here. Can't wait to see you tonight in Lawrence Will. For those that can make it out to Lawrence Will tonight between six and eight, can't wait to see you tomorrow when you get to see that land United in

We'll see it Mercedes Benz tomorrow.

Can't thank you guys enough for dropping by to kick things off here on the Morning Show on a Friday. Be safe, enjoy, eat a lot of good food, and we'll see you soon, either tonight or tomorrow or both.

Be well, y'all.

Thanks love for having us.

Thanks there you go.

It's Kareem and that is and this is Timo Sheeler. And Timo works in the marketing and communications for s p spbgg grwthor Firth. Now here's here's what's going on tonight once again. It's a three v three tournament Friday, six to eight the Rock Spring turf Field in Lawrenceville. Phone number and here tell you what, why don't I'm gonna put the phone number and the email here just so you can get lay it all out. So phone number for anybody that is interested nine five six eight sixty seven.

All right, So.

Uh alright, So that is the phone number if anybody wants to get in touch with anybody and find out more about the tournament in and of itself tonight. So that is six to eight in Lawrenceville six seven eight nine nine five six eight six seven. And you can find out more information there are good at info at kolanjisoccer dot com. Info at Kolanji Soccer O k l o n Ji kolanjisoccer dot com. And so once again that's the phone number. That's your email info at langisoccer

Spv G G gruther Firth.

So there you go, once again, all on one line six seven eight nine nine five six eight sixty seven info at Klangi Soccer dot com. And hopefully once again if you if you ain't got nothing going on and uh the rain can stay away, that it'll be great