LaLiga, a leading figure in the start of the Chinese Super League

The new season of the Chinese Super League (CSL) has begun, with LaLiga enjoying an important role as president Javier Tebas made an appearance at the match between Shenzhen FC, the team led by Spaniard Juan Ramon Lopez-Caro, and Hebei FC at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre.

"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 Javier Tebas.

"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," added Li Yuyi, president of the CSL.

Along with the presidents’ appearance on the pitch, video messages were shown from LaLiga ambassadors such as Gaizka Mendieta and Luis Garcia, in which the former players offered their congratulations on the agreement. In addition, players such as Sevilla FC’s Jesus Navas or RCD Espanyol’s recent Chinese recruit​​ Wu Lei showed their support.

This collaboration, which extends beyond the competitions themselves to the clubs within the leagues, targets different areas aimed at the growth of Chinese football. Among other areas, LaLiga will support the Chinese Super League in issues related to safety and integrity, brand creation and expansion, training and development of grassroots football and match broadcasting.

Javier Tebas, along with the CFA’s secretary general, Zhang Jian, have also signed an agreement in Beijing that encompasses the previously signed accords and that will serve as a framework for collaborations between LaLiga and various Chinese football organizations.

According to the document, LaLiga will offer advice and play a leading role in matters such as the training of coaches, management and the development of grassroots academies. Likewise, this agreement will serve as a springboard to explore opportunities for future joint collaboration.

“We have a number of ongoing projects with LaLiga and are committed to the grassroots development of the Chinese football. We are sure this will bring great benefits for our football andLaLiga, which through the years has demonstrated a proven track record thanks to its experience and methodology, will be the ideal partner for this task,” commented CFA’s Zhang Jian. 

Additionally, the president of LaLiga took the opportunity to visit the new facilities of the federative body of Chinese football. This facility, which LaLiga opened last November, is a permanent training base in Madrid for the youth teams of the Chinese national team.

This year, both organizations believe that the successful collaboration carried out so far will continue bearing fruits and that new projects will be launched, both in Spain and in China.