Inter Milan expands football academy to China

Inter Milan has taken another big step towards deepening their already strong ties with China following its announcement of a five-year partnership deal with Yitao Shanghai Football Club. The two sides will co-found the first Inter Academy project in Shanghai. The initial phase will involve 30 training centres, with the aim of reaching 100 football schools by the end of the year.

Under the agreement, Inter will send a powerful coaching team to improve the technical and tactical skills of the youngsters in the Academy. Coaches and youth players in Yitao Shanghai Football Club will also get the opportunity to participate in Inter’s training programs and events in Italy.

Inter's president Erick Thohir, Michael Bolingbroke, Javier Zanetti, Mauro Icardi, Marco Monti and Barbara Biggi attended the inauguration ceremony.

Inter Academy technical director Marco Monti declared: "It's a huge honour to be here to announce this five-year partnership with Yitao Shanghai Football Club. We can now launch our first Inter Academy in China, following on from our current projects in Japan, USA and Saudi Arabia.

"There will be 30 training centres here in the Shanghai area initially and the aim is to reach 100 football schools by the end of 2015, with the involvement of Nerazzurri coaches from the Inter youth academy.”