Chinese football clubs send stars abroad to develop skills

Global Business

Chinese football clubs send stars abroad to develop skills

One Chinese football club is trying to develop world-class players, by sending them overseas.

CGTN’s Paulo Cabral reports from Brazil.
Follow Paulo Cabral on Twitter @PCabralReporter

Coaches with Shandong Luneng Football club in China believe its players have the skills to be world class. The club is sending some of its players to Brazil, to train with some of the top players in the world.

“Chinese players are very fast, but we need to learn more in terms of tactics. I have been here for two years and in this period I have greatly improved my football skills. I hope that when I return to China I will be a good asset for my country’s football development,” Zeng Yuming, a defender for Desportivo Brasil, said.

The program started in 2014 when the owners of Shandong Luneng bought Desportivo Brasil. Since then, young players have been sent to Brazil from China in order to train with the world’s best.

“We have here all facilities to practice and our challenge here is to develop players to reach a high level of soccer in Brazil,” Desportivo Brazil head coach Carlos Zanardi said.

Desportivo Brasil remains in the third division of the Sao Paulo state league. However, its Chinese owners hope it will be in the first division within five years.

“In the long run, if we have good results and reach the elite of football in Sao Paulo, certainly also the value of young players developed here will go up,” Desportivo Brasil Director General Geraldo de Oliveira said.