Barca President confirms China visit

FC Barcelona have confirmed that club President, Josep Maria Bartomeu, club CEO, Oscar Grau and former player Ronaldinho, who is now a Club Ambassador, will travel to China on February 24th to sign an agreement between Barcelona and the Mission Hills Group.

The trio will travel to Haikou to pen the deal which will launch the strategic partnership to create the first FCBEscola (school) to be completely managed by the Spanish football club.

According to the FC Barcelona website, this agreement will "help the club expand in the Chinese market," and forms part of Barca's internationalization program, "one of the core aspects of its strategic plan."

The FCBscola is scheduled to have seven football pitches and to coach over 1,000 children and the facility will be shared with the Chinese Football Association. The site will also have an FC Barcelona 'megastore' and a "Barca experience area."

Bartomeu and Grau will then visit the club's office in Hong Kong and attend a meeting of the Hong Kong branch of the FC Barcelona supporters club.

Source: Xinhua