CSL club owner eyes on real players
Updated: 2011-08-07 07:42
By Tang Zhe(China Daily)
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Chinese fans now have good reason to believe they will see Real Madrid players in the Chinese Super League in the near future.
During the Spanish powerhouse's short stay in Guangzhou, Chinese tycoon Xu Jiayin (pictured), who bought Guangzhou Evergrande soccer club for 100 million yuan ($15.4 million) in March of 2010 and vowed to win the AFC Champions League in three years, sealed a partnership deal with Real Madrid chairman Florentino Perez.
According to the agreement, Real Madrid is willing to loan or transfer some of its players to Guangzhou and the outstanding players of Guangzhou will get the opportunity to play in La Liga.
Since Xu took over the club, Guangzhou has smashed the country's transfer record three times, bringing in Brazilian players Muriqui and Cleo last year, then signing Argentina midfielder Dario Conca last month for $10 million.
"I fully agree with Xu's philosophy of operating a club," said Perez, who was once criticized for the Spanish club's outlay of 94 million euros ($134.3 million) for Cristiano Ronaldo during a bad economic climate in 2009.
"If Mr Xu wants to build a top-flight team, my suggestion to him is to bring in more talented domestic players, as well as those leading players from Asia or even the world," Perez said. "The existence of outstanding players will become a big motivation to the team's morale and gradually the team itself will become the best in China, and then in Asia."
Guangzhou's cooperation with Real Madrid could bring about another record-breaking deal in Chinese league.
"I really appreciate the way Real Madrid works in soccer, and I hope Mr Perez will give us support when we need outstanding players in the future," Xu said. "Our club is new in soccer and we must have good players and coaches to play good games."
(China Daily 08/07/2011 page8)