German college soccer trio trains in Winston‑Salem, seeks pro contracts

Three German university footballers – Linus Musielak (22) from Dortmund, Fynn Meves (23) from Bielefeld and Noah Vasilev (23) from Würzburg – are spending the summer in Winston‑Salem, North Carolina, training with fourth‑tier side Salem City FC. The players, who study at American colleges, hope the stint will serve as a second chance to attract professional interest.

While in the town they have met several German national‑team players, including Nico Schlotterbeck, Felix Nmecha, Deniz Undav, Joshua Kimmich and Oliver Baumann, who stopped by the club’s training facilities and a local café. Salem City FC provides the trio with accommodation and meals but does not pay a salary. The three live together with five other players in a shared house.

The players will return to their universities in August, keeping their degrees as a fallback if a professional contract does not materialise. DFB captain Joshua Kimmich remarked that the experience of playing abroad is “very exciting” and a valuable cultural exchange.