Audi achieving goal of backing soccer's development in China

The first game of the Audi Football Summit China 2017 attracts numerous enthusiastic football fans to the Shanghai Stadium. Photos Provided to China Daily

German premium carmaker Audi, one of the sportiest car brands in the world, has a deep bond with soccer.

Audi and Bayern Munich have been playing ball since 2002. Audi became the vehicle partner of Real Madrid in 2003 and has been in a partnership with Barcelona since 2006.

In China, by leveraging Audi's sport resources, its joint venture FAW-Volkswagen's Audi division is serving as a bridge for avid Chinese soccer fans to enjoy top-level matches and helping to promote the sport with the largest following in the country.

Since 2012, FAW-Volkswagen's Audi division has invited top football clubs to cruise and play games in China many times. It has sponsored prestigious European clubs, such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United to visit China and provide European games for Chinese fans with no time difference. Audi once cooperated with four football clubs - Real Madrid, Internazionale Milano, Valencia and Guangzhou Evergrande - providing three brilliant games for Chinese fans in July 2015. Audi Football Summit 2017 will once again provide an exciting football feast for Chinese fans in July.

During Audi Football Summit China 2017 from July 18 to 24, six premiere European clubs - Bayern Munich, Arsenal, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, InterMilan and Olympique Lyonnais - offered four marvelous matches in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Nanjing, wowing millions of spectators and TV audiences across the country.

The first game, held on Wednesday, attracted more than 40,000 enthusiastic fans to the Shanghai Stadium, with their emotions reaching a climax when Arsenal beat Bayern Munich in a penalty shootout.

After all, there are few opportunities for Chinese people to enjoy such top-tier games without staying up to early morning, because China and Europe are in such different time zones.

Zhang Pijie, member of the board of directors and president of FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co, said: "We strive to expand the football culture in China. Developing football for teenagers is our responsibility."

So it has helped to invite premier clubs to China since 2012, the year in which Bayern Munich pitted against VfL Wolfsburg in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, during the Audi Football Summit China.

The game, which was probably the first top-level soccer match on Chinese soil, attracted some 60,000 fans.

The carmaker said the event was an extension of Audi's long-term partnership with those European premier clubs and opened up a new way for them to visit China and to facilitate sport exchanges.

FAW-Volkswagen Audi has been active in promoting such exchanges. In late 2016, it organized three events - Audi Chief Fans Officer, Audi Mobile Football Fans Home and Audi football fans overseas game watching - offering fans in the country opportunities to learn more about their beloved clubs.

The Audi Chief Fans Officer was initiated in early October and the carmaker sponsored lucky participants to visit top-class clubs including Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid and AC Milan and encouraged them to share their experiences with fans back in China.

In mid-October, it held a campaign called Audi Mobile Football Fans Home.

The event, which was held simultaneously in 22 cities across the country, attracted fans to engage with football stars and coaches. Also at the event, FAW-Volkswagen Audi organized trips for lucky participants to watch matches in Europe.

Youth soccer is another important part of FAW-Volkswagen Audi's soccer programs.

At the Beijing leg of the event, the carmaker unveiled its youth football development plan. FAW-Volkswagen Audi offers a variety of opportunities for Chinese teenagers to get in touch with football stars in Europe.

In Shanghai, it made arrangements for 40 Chinese children to meet Franz Beckenbauer, who was nicknamed The Emperor, and famed goalkeeper Raimond Aumann. The two also gave them tips on how to play football.

In August 2015, FAW-Volkswagen Audi organized a team of five youth soccer players and their families to watch matches of the Audi Cup in Germany, where four top-level European clubs played against each other. It also organized trips for them to visit the Bayern Munich club.

FAW-Volkswagen Audi said it had organized trips to the Audi Cup for Chinese fans since 2009. The 2015 trip was a milestone involving youth players, marking the beginning of an "inviting in and going out" strategy for its youth football development campaign.

Besides organizing overseas trips, the carmaker is helping to train youth players in China, helping them to realize their sport dreams. It has also set up youth football camps in four cities - Changchun, Chengdu, Foshan and Qingdao - offering professional, nonprofit training to children aged 10 to 12.

To ensure training quality, head coaches at the camp are B-class or even higher-level coaches certified by the Chinese Football Association, while assistant coaches are C-class or above, according to the automaker.

It added that no less than 6 million yuan ($887,600) will be appropriated for the camps from 2015 to 2017.

Zhang at FAW-Volkswagen said the carmaker plays a vital role in promoting soccer culture in China and will continue to make efforts in the sector.

(China Daily 07/24/2017 page19)