Real Madrid allegedly have an association with a Chinese development school basing U14 players in Spain.

AS reports a partner of Real Madrid in China for the development of football schools, Soxna, has brought and kept 25 young Chinese footballers under the age of 14 in Spain (“the best from the Evergrande Real Madrid Football School”, according to the Soxna website). They have done it in conjunction with Guangzhou Evergrande, the club with which Soxna have signed a deal for €13,339,832.

The contract between the parties, confidential but seen by AS reporters, was signed in China on August 11, 2014. The basic agreement is “the cooperation for developing international players of a high level”.

Article 19a of the FIFA Statute for the protection of minors states that “all clubs that operate an academy with which they have a relationship of law and/or of economic ties shall notify the presence of minors who attend the academy to the federation in which the academy operates”.

AS have produced a copy of the contract on their website today.

According to the partner of Madrid, “Soxna is the company appointed by Real Madrid for the development of the football schools of the Real Madrid Foundation in China.”

As recently as February 19, Soxna reported that: “The Chinese government spoke to Soxna about the possibility of developing a master plan with the intention of integrating football into the education system in China.

Soxna presented the project to Real Madrid, who did not hesitate to join as an official partner. On April 16 2013 Soxna, Real Madrid Foundation of the Ministry of Education of China signed an agreement for the development of the plan.”