Chelsea to help train Chinese Olympic football team

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-01-12 11:24

LONDON - China's Olympic football team are to spend two weeks learning the tricks of the trade at Chelsea next month, the Premier League club said on Friday.

The visit to the London club's training ground in leafy Cobham is part of Chelsea's drive to tap fast growing Asian markets.

"China is a key commercial market for us but our policy is to help Chinese football where we can in the process and this was a key element behind our agreement to co-operate with the CFA (Chinese Football Association)...," Chelsea's business affairs director Paul Smith said in a statement.

Chelsea, owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, will host the Chinese team at training and offer seminars on technical, coaching and medical issues, Chelsea said.

They will also arrange friendlies for the team, made up of China's most promising under-23 players who hope to play at the Beijing Games next year.



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