- Austin Jay-Jay Okocha opened up about a near-move to Bayern Munich during his early days in German football
- A German age rule and Bayern’s refusal to put their offer in writing stood between Okocha and the Bavarian giants
- Okocha shared the full story of how his career path in Europe was shaped before his breakthrough at Eintracht Frankfurt
Super Eagles legend Austin Jay-Jay Okocha has revealed that Bayern Munich came close to signing him during his first year in European football
Okocha’s career in Europe started with third-division side Borussia Neunkirchen, from where he moved to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.
Source: Getty Images
The club had picked him up after a holiday in Germany turned into the start of his football career in Europe as a teenager.
How Okocha almost joined Bayern Munich
Okocha nearly joined Bayern, but a combination of German football regulations and the club’s reluctance to commit on paper left the deal dead in the water.
Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, Okocha recalled that his European journey did not begin at Eintracht Frankfurt, as many fans assume, but at third-division Borussia Neunkirchen. It was there that Bayern’s scouts took notice of him.
“Before I got my international clearance, it was almost winter; the season was almost half. So I played half of the season, then I got an offer from Bayern Munich,” he said.
Bayern took Okocha to Switzerland for a youth tournament, and he impressed enough that the club wanted to sign him. However, a German football regulation created an obstacle.
Because Okocha turned 18 in August rather than before July, he did not qualify to turn professional within that season under the rules in place at the time.
“I went with their youth team to a tournament in Switzerland, and after that they wanted to sign me, but because I turned 18 in August, German rules mean you have to turn 18 before July before you can turn professional that season,” he explained.
“So Bayern made me an offer, but it was just a verbal offer because they couldn’t give me a professional contract until I turned 18. I was already 18, but I turned 18 late,” Okocha said.
“So it was like I had to train with professionals and play with the second team. I was willing to take it because it was unbelievable coming from Nigeria, but they were unwilling to put it into writing.”
Okocha returned to Neunkirchen, and it was Eintracht Frankfurt who eventually formalised an offer, presenting him with a one-year amateur contract and a two-year professional contract that included a provision allowing him to step in for injured senior players.
By the time Bayern came back with renewed interest, Okocha had already signed for Frankfurt.
His career took off from there. As reported by the Guardian, he later moved to Fenerbahce, a transfer he acknowledged was driven largely by finances, as the top clubs courting him at the time did not present attractive enough terms.
Okocha went on to become one of the most celebrated African footballers of his generation, with his time at Paris Saint-Germain and Bolton Wanderers cementing his global reputation.
Okocha explains why he adopted JJ
Legit.ng previously reported that Austin Jay-Jay Okocha explained why he adopted the nickname as part of his official name, despite not being born with it.
Jay-Jay became part of his brand, even though it came from his elder brother in the streets when he was playing football as a kid in Enugu.
Source: Legit.ng