China is returning to see Spain invest their capital. The commercial and strategic cooperation between companies and institutions of both is growing by leaps and bounds. An example of this can be seen in professional football.
The cooperation between the Professional Football League of Spain and the Chinese Super League has been in operation for a few years now. It has already been a long time since teams like Real Madrid or Barcelona Football Club have been preseasoned in the Asian country, during the months of August and September.
But the new wager is much more than that. Currently, the Spanish football institution is considering setting official matches of the professional league outside its borders, mainly in Chinese territory.
Economic relations everywhere
The company Wanda Group, owner of 20% of the football club Atlético de Madrid, has managed to place its name at the headquarters of the third most traditional club in Spain. The headquarters of the colchoneros is now called the Wanda Metropolitan Stadium, which is a great demonstration of the influence of Chinese capital in national football.
Investors have appreciated the appeal of Spanish football, which has the most prestigious league, valued, attractive, and televised worldwide. If we add that it is the favourite sport of Chinese President Xi Jinping, the opportunities that can be appreciated are enormous in the short, medium and long term.
In addition, Chinese sports investors and officials see Real Madrid and FC Barcelona as the model of Chinese football of the future. In fact, part of the football development plan that takes place in the Asian giant has to do with football schools that already have these two teams in China. They are not the first, nor will they be the only ones.
Everything indicates that the sports market that will be created around these two countries will be promising. There, business opportunities are not exclusive to the League, institutions and equipment: textiles, television, sporting goods and all related merchandise will be well positioned.
The Chinese football development plan
The first phase - the injection of capital to the Superleague of China, the recruitment of renowned football players and the already mentioned agreements of sport cooperation and at the marketing level with the most prestigious clubs in Spain - is already part of the brand.
In addition, it is thought that from 2021 until 2030, the women’s football of the eastern nation will consolidate its dominance worldwide and that the men’s is the most important in Asia. There are already public investments aimed at promoting the training of athletes through the creation of 20,000 football schools. The deadline to meet the ambitious goal is 2020.
Finally, the Chinese government and investors are planning to position the whole country as one of the most dominant nations in the sport. This goes beyond the fact that China only played in a men’s football world cup in 2002.
What should not be ignored in Spain, is that this inrush of “football” capital is beginning to be captured by other countries such as Italy and Germany. Soon it will be a matter of great international competitiveness, to obtain commercial and financial advantages.
Team EurochinaBridge.com