BEIJING - Premiership champions Chelsea have big plans for China
after signing their first commercial contract here this week but do
not expect to quickly find a football-playing version of
basketball's Yao Ming.
Dubbed the Great Wall of China, the Houston Rockets star is wildly
popular and is credited with helping boost the commercial success
of the US National Basketball Association league in his home
country.
However, Chinese football players in England have failed to make a
similar impact.
Of five football players from China currently with Premiership
clubs, only Manchester City's Sun Jihai has managed to hold down a
regular first team place.
Another Chinese player, national team captain Zheng Zhi, is the
latest export and joined Charlton on loan this week, but the time
has not yet come for Chelsea to consider a Chinese player, club CEO
Peter Kenyon said here Monday.
"There is talent in China but the quality of players is not quite
there yet. For China to be a successful export market, football
must be successful in China first," he said.
To develop local talent, Chelsea are in a partnership with the
Chinese Football Association to train grassroots players and are
expected to announce further steps to help improve playing
standards here this week.
Kenyon said Chelsea would be running training camps in China and
sending coaches here to improve standards. Also, China's under-23
team will be invited to train at Chelsea later this year.
Chelsea are also drawn to China for other reasons. The London club
has been looking for a serious business partner in China for 18
months.
On Monday they finally signed an agreement with top Chinese
Internet portal Sina.com to become the first premiership club to
set up a website in Chinese run from China.
"China has been first because of the fact that it is the largest
market and has most potential," said Kenyon at the website launch
here.
"But we have parallel projects in (South) Korea and Japan and we
have started a process in the next big market, a surprise to many
people, which is India."
The website (www.chelsea.sina.com.cn) will carry translated content
from Chelsea's official website (www.chelseafc.com) as well as
original content for the Chinese market.
Known more for cricket and hockey than football, India is a
surprise target for Chelsea's strategy to expand its appeal across
Asia.
Paul Smith, Chelsea's group business affairs director, was in India
10 days ago discussing potential deals for what he said was a
long-term project.
"The emerging Indian middle class are looking to assert themselves
by identifying with something other than cricket and the
indications are they are looking at football, with its sexy
European image, as something to follow," he said.
"It is very much a fledgling level of support but we have the
advantage of being the first in the market."
He said that Chelsea's profile was set to get a boost in the
subcontinent from Bollywood, which is producing a new movie, whose
popular star is depicted on screen as a big fan of the Blues.
"Bollywood is huge in India so we expect some spin-off," he
said.
Chelsea's involvement in Asia is part of Kenyon's plan launched in
2004 to make his club the world's more recognizable brand in
football within 10 years.
It started with a huge shirt sponsorship deal with South Korean
conglomerate Samsung in 2005.
"But if we were to be internationally recognized, then we had to be
in China," said Kenyon.
- AFP/ir