March 4 – LaLiga reinforced its commitment to Chinese expansion over the weekend with president Javier Tebas in the country for the opening day of the Chinese Super League (CSL) season.
Tebas was at the Shenzhen vs Hebei match where the strategic agreement between LaLiga and the CSL was formally presented to fans. Shenzen are coached by Spaniard Juan Ramon Lopez-Caro.
The collaboration between the leagues extends downwards into the clubs and is focussed on building the CSL which Tebas says “will be among the five or six top leagues in the world within years”.
The leagues will focus on issues related to safety and integrity, brand creation and expansion, and broadcasting, as well as on training and development of grassroots football.
“The agreement presented today and signed in January is just another step forward in the cooperation that LaLiga and CSL have been building in recent years. We are convinced that by following this path and being patient the CSL will be among the five or six top leagues in the world within years,” said Tebas.
Li Yuyi, president of the CSL, was similarly positive about the partnership. “The CSL has in LaLiga a partner with which to cooperate and keep growing. Football development is a common goal for both competitions and LaLiga’s experience and knowledge will be truly valuable in reaching this goal,” said Yuyi.
LaLiga has also engaged with the Chinese FA, having signed an agreement that will contribute to the training of coaches, management and the development of grassroots academies. The agreement has already seen LaLiga open, last November, a permanent training base in Madrid for China’s national youth teams.
Indonesian push
China is not the only focus of LaLiga expansion with a deal having been signed in January with PT Liga Indonesia Baru. laLiga said that at the centre of this deal was both sides sharing their best practices for ensuring economic transparency in the Indonesian game.
Marketing, administration, stadium security, fighting match-fixing and brand internationalisation are other shared areas of interest.
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