Colombian star Luis Díaz is adjusting to life at Bayern Munich, but his new contract comes with an unusual requirement — he must learn German. The 29-year-old winger has two to three language sessions every week, and the club regularly evaluates his progress.
After playing a key role in Liverpool’s Premier League triumph under Arne Slot, Díaz secured a £65.5 million move to Bayern Munich, signing a four-year deal with the Bundesliga champions. Under manager Vincent Kompany, he has impressed on the pitch, registering 19 goals and 15 assists across all competitions. However, adapting off the field has brought its own challenges.
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Language clause in a contract
Díaz, whose first language is Spanish, learned Portuguese during his time at Porto and picked up some English at Liverpool. But in a recent interview with Sky Deportes, Diaz admitted that the language barrier in Germany remains “the hardest thing” about his adaptation.
According to a report from BILD, via beIN Sports, Díaz’s contract contains a formal “language clause” that makes attending German lessons compulsory. The agreement requires him to take part in two to three lessons per week and demonstrate measurable improvement.
“We have a few guys who can speak a bit of Spanish. His English is also okay. So we are managing that as a team," Diaz said.
Failure to show sufficient progress could result in financial penalties ranging from 5,000 (Rs 5.36 lakh) to 50,000 (Rs 53.64 lakh), depending on the level of compliance.
Though there are not many Spanish speakers in the Bayern squad, captain Joshua Kimmich, who speaks French and English, is among those who can communicate with him and has developed a friendship with Díaz.
