Following on from the signing of a strategic agreement with LaLiga, representatives from the Chinese Super League visited the Wanda Metropolitano. 

21 January 2018.- This Saturday saw Atletico Madrid play their part in helping LaLiga in its efforts to engage with the competition's Chinese followers and support the professionalisation of the game in the Asian country. The capital club welcomed a joint delegation featuring representatives from the Chinese Super League (CSL) and LaLiga to the Wanda Metropolitano, where the two parties shared ideas about the development of Chinese football.

Atletico's CEO, Miguel Angel Gil, acted as the host for a group that was headed up by the CSL's general secretary, Dong Zheng, and LaLiga's director of international development, Oscar Mayo.

During the course of the visit, the representatives from the Chinese league took part in meetings with several members of the Atletico hierarchy, with the financial control measures imposed on the LaLiga clubs amongst the topics discussed. The visitors also met up with the heads of the club's communications, marketing and youth football departments, with the academy set-up attracting particular interest on account of its fine reputation, both within Spain and abroad.

The club's participation in these meetings reflects the Madrid-based outfit's commitment to assisting LaLiga in its bid to promote football in the Asian nation, an endeavour which was afforded an official framework in the form of the strategic agreement signed last Friday between the CSL and LaLiga. This link-up is set to provide a whole series of collaboration opportunities for Chinese football's organising body and its member clubs.   

The trip also represented a follow-up to the visit made by representatives from the 16 CSL clubs to Atletico's stadium in December, when the Chinese guests were given a first-hand taste of the working methods of several Spanish clubs and LaLiga in areas including broadcasting, security and the organisation of the competition. 

On that occasion, the CSL representatives got the chance to learn about day-to-day life at a number of Spanish clubs after meeting with staff from other teams from across the Community of Madrid region, including Rayo Vallecano, Real Madrid and Getafe CF.

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 1|2|3 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.