barcelona launch major football academy in china
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

Barcelona launch major football academy in China

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Barcelona launch major football academy in China

Brazilian player Ronaldinho meets children at the launch of a Barcelona football academy
Hainan - ArabToday

 Ronaldinho launched a Barcelona academy for about 1,000 students in China on Friday as the world's most populous nation pursues its grand ambitions in the world's most popular sport.

The Barcelona and Brazil great and club president Josep Maria Bartomeu met children and toured the site at the Mission Hills golf complex on Hainan island, which will have seven pitches when it opens later this year.

The academy, which will also serve as a training centre for China's national team and top clubs, is one of tens of thousands of facilities expected in the coming years as China strives to become a football superpower.

"We know Barcelona FC works very well with kids, with high-level professionals that are coming to work here," Ronaldinho said. "I believe they will help a lot and Chinese football is going to learn a lot."

The new facility will be the biggest of Barcelona's 20-plus academies around the world, and the first directly managed by club staff.

It is still dwarfed by the Evergrande Football School in Guangdong, which has links with Barcelona's Spanish rivals Real Madrid and more than 2,000 students, making it the world's biggest academy.

But Mission Hills vice-chairman Tenniel Chu told AFP in November that the Barcelona academy will eventually grow to 30 pitches, alongside an international school with a capacity of 5,000.

China, whose national team is wallowing at 86th in the world rankings, plans to have 50,000 academies and football-focused schools by 2025, the education ministry said this week.

"Probably it will be the (biggest) project of football in the world," Bartomeu said, referring to the new academy.

"I think China needs... what Mission Hills is doing in Hainan, and for China it's going to be a new step for the growth in football.

"For me, the temperature, the ambience, the people, and mainly the terrain of this island are going to be something unique for... the development of football in China."

Mission Hills already operates the world's two biggest golf resorts in Guangdong and Hainan, along with a Boris Becker tennis academy.

Despite its 1.3 billion population, China punches well below its weight in football, reaching the World Cup only once in its history -- in 2002, when the team lost all three group games without scoring a goal.

But under President Xi Jinping, a football fan, China has ambitions of hosting and even winning the World Cup, triggering a rush of Chinese investment in foreign clubs, players, coaches and media rights.

Alongside the academy in Hainan, Barcelona will also open a 7,000-square-metre (75,000 square feet) 'Barcelona Experience' centre, featuring exhibits and merchandise for sale.

Some football experts have cast doubt on the efficiency of academies, saying the sport's key skills are best learned organically.

source: AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

barcelona launch major football academy in china barcelona launch major football academy in china

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

barcelona launch major football academy in china barcelona launch major football academy in china

 



GMT 21:16 2016 Monday ,27 June

Zaki Badr discusses cleaning problem in Giza

GMT 21:46 2017 Saturday ,14 January

Turkey arrests 60 businessmen for alleged Gulen ties

GMT 22:38 2017 Friday ,24 March

Abbas meets with Merkel in Berlin

GMT 09:02 2017 Monday ,27 March

Tunisian Premier Concludes Visit to Sudan

GMT 15:54 2017 Friday ,01 September

Attorney General Directs Prosecutors to inspect Prison

GMT 09:22 2017 Sunday ,31 December

HM King condoles with Afghanistan President

GMT 10:12 2016 Wednesday ,06 April

Strong dollar, mild weather shrink H&M profits

GMT 17:03 2016 Saturday ,24 December

7 police killed in attacks in Afghansitan

GMT 13:51 2017 Friday ,17 March

Israel denies Syria shot down a warplane

GMT 04:08 2017 Thursday ,05 January

Carbon tax can fund clean energy transition

GMT 19:27 2016 Wednesday ,14 September

Alstom to go ahead with plans to shut down Belfort plant

GMT 01:44 2017 Friday ,15 December

Mennat-Allah underlines importance of landscapes

GMT 04:57 2017 Thursday ,14 December

Trump tells NASA to send Americans to Moon

GMT 21:43 2017 Wednesday ,11 October

Qabil discusses with Swiss delegation improving power

GMT 21:06 2017 Sunday ,17 September

OIC condemns suicide attack in Kabul

GMT 08:27 2017 Thursday ,27 April

Nokia reports another loss as networks sag

GMT 19:41 2017 Monday ,06 February

Elina Svitolina Claims Taiwan Open Title

GMT 09:39 2017 Friday ,03 February

Former Brazilian president Lula's wife dies of stroke
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday