- Richards joined the FC Dallas Academy in 2017
- FC Dallas signed the 6’2 center back to a Homegrown contract in April, 2018
- Bayern Munich signed Richards on loan in July, 2018
FRISCO - FC Dallas has reached a transfer agreement with FC Bayern Munich for Homegrown defender Chris Richards, with the 18-year-old joining the German club on a four-and-a-half-year contract through June 30, 2023.
FC Dallas initially loaned Richards to the FC Bayern Munich’s U-19 squad in July. While playing with the German team, the Alabama native competed in more than 1,700 minutes for the Bundesliga club. He also played for Bayern’s first team during the club’s 2018 Summer Tour.
“Chris Richards is a phenomenal talent with a bright future ahead of him,” said FC Dallas President Dan Hunt. “We’re proud to develop players who can play for one of the sport’s most successful clubs. Chris’ transfer reflects our commitment to our philosophy of grooming players at the local level who can compete on a global stage.”
Richards signed a Homegrown contract with FC Dallas in April, becoming the 22nd Academy product to do so. He participated in a 10-day training stint with FC Bayern later that month at the club’s youth academy in Germany.
"Just under a year ago, we entered a partnership with FC Dallas to create pathways to professional soccer in the U.S. and Europe for young players. To be able to announce the transfer of a player today is a landmark moment for all involved,” said FC Bayern Munich’s President of the Americas, Rudolf Vidal.
Richards joined the FC Dallas Academy in 2017 and started 20 U.S. Soccer Development Academy matches for FC Dallas’ U-19s in 2018, scoring two goals. The versatile defender also started all three matches for the U-19s in the 2018 Dallas Cup.
“FC Dallas bridged the gap between the Academy and the professional side,” said Richards. “Training with the first team on a consistent weekly basis helped make my transition much easier. While getting used to the speed of play with Bayern was tough, I would not have adapted as quickly as I did had it not been for the opportunity I had to train with FC Dallas’ first team.”
