The Chinese Football Association (CFA) held a press conference yesterday in Beijing to announce that 58.com is to become the new title sponsor of China League One, the second division of football league in China.

The partnership will see 58.com, China’s largest classified site, add its name to China’s second-tier football league, ending the league’s 11-year sponsoring drought.

The annual payment for the title sponsorship is believed to be at least 15 million RMB.  

Prior to this sponsorship from 58.com, the CFA were responsible for all operations of the league. As revealed by the head of CFA’s professional league council executive board, two China League One clubs, Beijing Beikong FC and Hebei China Fortune FC, have spent as much as 100 million RMB respectively on transfers.

Yao Jinbo, CEO of 58.com, said they would consider investment into other China League One teams in the future as he believed the sport would develop dramatically in the following years.

The league is currently made up of 16 teams, playing each other once on a home and away basis.

Source: ifeng

Proofread by Raymond Fitzpatrick