LaLiga and CSL clubs join forces to promote football growth

LaLiga Santander clubs, together with the Chinese Super League clubs, closed a four days program in Madrid aiming to close relations between the two football competitions.

Dec. 18th, 2018.- LaLiga and the Chinese Super League, together with clubs from both tournaments, have ramped up their search of cooperation projects and mutual understanding. Representatives from both competitions and the clubs met on Monday at the Wanda Metropolitano, the stadium of LaLiga giants Atletico de Madrid, to develop a better understanding of how the best league in the world is organized.

"LaLiga and its clubs are looking not only for their own growth, but also to contribute to the growth of other clubs and leagues. Through our experience both in Spain and abroad, we can offer advice about competition, security, grassroots development, etc. and, at the same time, learn from the best practices of the clubs in different countries," said Oscar Mayo, Head of International Development of LaLiga.

"We are committed to eradicating violence, match fixing and other practices that harm the competition, clubs and fans, and have made great progress to this effect. We now want to share this knowledge with other leagues and clubs in order to make football a better place around the world," said Florentino Villabona, LaLiga’s Head of Integrity and Security.

"Spanish LaLiga is well known for its experience and quality in its organization. Chinese Superleague is a growing tournament able to attract world-class talent and improve year by year. I think both competitions can learn from each other and its clubs benefit from this bilateral good relationship," added Yan Peixue, Chinese Super League vice-president.

Representatives from CSL clubs and the Chinese competition also visited the stadiums of both Getafe and Real Madrid to learn more about the way LaLiga clubs prepare for their matches. They also attended two matches, Getafe vs Real Sociedad and Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano, and Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano training sessions where they witnessed first-hand how LaLiga's audiovisual technology is implemented and learned about training, security and match organization.

LaLiga's commitment to the Asian nation is nothing new, with several projects having been undertaken in recent years, including the link-up with the China Education Association for International Exchanges (CEAIE). This partnership has seen over 120 LaLiga coaches travel to China to impart their knowledge, whilst almost 500,000 youngsters have benefited from training programmes of varying lengths. 

In addition, the summer camps run over the last two years in cities such as Shenyang, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai and Qingdao have put LaLiga in a position to work with players of all abilities and age groups, with LaLiga coaches introducing the LaLiga methodology and adapting it to players’ needs. 

About LaLiga

Founded in 1984, LaLiga (Liga de Fútbol Profesional) is a sports association comprising the 42 teams that make up the first and second divisions of professional football in Spain. LaLiga, based in Madrid, is responsible for the LaLiga Santander and LaLiga 123 leagues and the television production, which in the 2017/2018 season reached more than 2.7 billion people globally. The association also has an active foundation and is the world’s first professional football league with a league for intellectually challenged footballers: LaLiga Genuine