Chris Richards: Bayern “is a machine” – Ricardo Pepi needs “to go somewhere to play”

Interview 

On loan from Bayern Munich at Hoffenheim, Chris Richards has started well into the 2021/22 Bundesliga season. As part of a roundtable organized by the DFL, Transfermarkt spoke to the 21-year-old native of Birmingham, Alabama, about his development at Bayern and Hoffenheim, the future of fellow FC Dallas products Justin Che and Ricardo Pepi, and the importance of the Rekordmeister’s partnership with his former Major League Soccer side. 

“It’s a machine,” Richards said with a big smile on his face when asked about Bayern Munich. “You get there, and they expect you to slot right in.” Richards made the step from the FC Dallas Academy to the Rekordmeister as an 18-year-old—initially signed on loan, Bayern Munich made the transfer permanent for $1.21 million in January 2019. 

Richards has since played ten games for the first team and 38 games for Bayern Munich II in the 3. Liga. Bouncing back and forward between the first and second-team at the start of the 2020/21 season, the 21-year-old opted for a loan to Hoffenheim to make the next step last winter. After playing 11 games for Die Kraichgauer last year, many observers believed Richards was now close enough to stick with Bayern. Still, the American opted for yet another loan transfer to Hoffenheim at the start of the 2021/22 season. 

Richards to Hoffenheim: “It was my decision” 

“It was my decision to go out on loan,” Richards said. “We had five center-backs at the time, and if I wasn’t one of the first two or three, then I would have just been waiting around, and after playing for the last few months, I had to go somewhere where I was playing. They respected my decision, and they knew that it was the best not just for me but for them as well, as I will hopefully come back with some 30 odd games.” 

Richards, however, did admit that he was close to staying. “All I can do now is go back next summer and give them a convincing argument as to why I should be in the starting XI.” 

Playing regular minutes in the Bundesliga was key for a transfer. Richards believes that game time is key for the development of a young player. A fact he also pointed out when asked about his fellow FC Dallas Academy product Ricardo Pepi. 

Richards on Ricardo Pepi: “Go somewhere where you play right away”

The 18-year-old striker is currently linked with countless clubs in Europe, including VfL Wolfsburg and Richards’ club Bayern Munich. “You have to go somewhere where you play right away,” Richards said when asked if he had any advice for Pepi. “Sometimes you get caught up in the big names, but it might not be the perfect situation because sometimes you get stuck behind a great striker at a big club, and it could be hard to get past him unless he is injured. So go somewhere where you can play because if you do what you’re supposed to do on the field, the bigger clubs always come calling.” 

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Another FC Dallas product who will likely be back in the Bundesliga this January is Justin Che. The 17-year-old spent last spring on loan at Bayern Munich, and the Rekordmeister would like to sign the defender on a permanent basis this upcoming transfer window. “He put in some good performances,” Richards said about Che. “Speaking with him and the guys [at Bayern], they liked him, and they think that if he continues to progress, he could be a guy who can make it over here.” 

Che, and potentially Pepi, would be the latest players to move from Dallas to Bayern Munich or a Bundesliga side. Bayern Munich have a development partnership with Major League Soccer side FC Dallas. As part of the agreement, several Dallas Academy players regularly train with the Rekordmeister over the winter. 

Richards believes that the partnership provides a very valuable experience. “You can see how high the level is,” Richards said. “It’s been very beneficial not just for me but also for other players. Justin Che did well at Bayern and then went back to Dallas and got some really good minutes. Same with Ricardo Pepi. Being here for a week and a half exposes you to how close you actually are to making it to this level.”

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