The BVB players will depart for Singapore this Monday evening. The ASIA TOUR 2022, which lasts up until 1 December, will also include stops in Malaysia and Vietnam. Alex Meyer has never been to Asia; Donyell Malen was in China with Arsenal at the age of 18. In a media round, the duo spoke about their expectations.

"I'm looking forward to the three countries: new cultures, new experiences for us players," said Meyer. Following a congested period with lots of games and travel, the long winter break is something different for the players. "But we're also looking forward to it because we now have time to discover new places in Asia and to get to know the cultures too. When we usually travel to matches, we don't have any time for that," Meyer said.

Malen echoes that sentiment. "The break gives us more opportunities to see the world. We're looking forward to that." Recalling his China trip, he said: "It was a lovely experience. You see a lot of things and it's something special to be in a different part of the world."

But the culture will not come at football's expense: the Black & Yellows have friendlies against Lion City Sailors in Singapore (24/11 at 13:30 CET), Johor Southern Tigers in Malaysia (28/11 at 12:00 CET) and the Vietnam national team in Hanoi (30/11 at 13:00 CET) coming up. "We'll approach the matches as we always do. It's our preparation for the second half of the season," Malen said. (cr)