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THU 28 OCT 2021 | FOOTBALL PROJECTS
RCD Espanyol strengthen foothold in China with opening of a second football academy
RCD Espanyol strengthen foothold in China with opening of a second football academy
  • Following the success of their youth football programme in Shanghai, RCD Espanyol have launched another school in Guangzhou.
  • The White and Blues are one of the fastest growing clubs in China, thanks to the academies, the presence of Wu Lei in the first team and projects such as Espanyol Media.

Since Chen Yansheng became the president of RCD Espanyol in January of 2016, the Catalan club have experienced incredible international growth, particularly in China. The White and Blues have become so popular in China that some of their matches attract even greater audiences in the Asian country than those of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.

There are various explanations for RCD Espanyol’s success story in China. Yansheng’s knowledge of the Chinese market is one of them, while the LaLiga Santander club have also managed to establish a foothold in China thanks to the presence of striker Wu Lei in the first team, thanks to sophisticated internationalisation strategies and thanks to a world-class football academy programme, with a second Chinese school recently opened in Guangzhou.

The academy structure at RCD Espanyol is special, with the club having long been heralded as one of the best in youth development in all of Spain. There are more than 70 professional football players around the world who are RCD Espanyol academy alumni, including modern talents such as Villarreal CF’s Gerard Moreno, Brighton’s Marc Cucurella and Bayern Munich’s Marc Roca. Furthermore, approximately 50 percent of the current first-team players are also homegrown.

Keen to bring their successful youth development methodology to other continents, RCD Espanyol have opened 11 international academies in eight different countries. China is one of the locations to boast two academies, with the first school set up in Shanghai in 2019 and with another opened in Guangzhou this year.

RCD Espanyol's growth in China

The Shanghai academy is growing annually by 30 percent and some of the youngsters even had the opportunity to visit Wu Lei and the club’s facilities in Spain. This, along with LaLiga activations such as viewing parties for the Catalan derby between RCD Espanyol and FC Barcelona, has inspired the creation of an official RCD Espanyol fan club in Shanghai. Then, at the new site in Guangzhou, there were already close to 400 boys and girls enrolled in the academy by August of 2021, while these numbers are expected to grow to 700 during the 2021/22 season.

“Our youth football programmes, and the sharing of our working methodology are strategic elements for RCD Espanyol in terms of becoming better known nationally and internationally,” the club have explained. “Chinese football fans’ interest is well known and, in our case, we have established links with the ever-growing community of Chinese supporters. They’ve shown affection for RCD Espanyol. So, we think it’s important to provide for them with projects such as our new academy or with others, such as the launch of Espanyol Media in China.”

The Espanyol Media project is a new initiative from the LaLiga Santander club, with certain matches broadcast for free on social media and with Chinese commentary. Already, the club have shown the men’s first team in pre-season action, with one game against Cádiz CF attracting almost half a million viewers. Additionally, the club have broadcast matches of the women’s team and academy teams to Chinese fans through Espanyol Media.

“We’re very satisfied with this and, at the same time, we remain committed to continue bringing our club closer to this country where the fans have demonstrated their interest and potential,” the club said of this latest success in China.

Harnessing Wu Lei's impact

Through all this expansion, RCD Espanyol have received the support and backing of LaLiga, with the Spanish league having formed close working relationships with local government, the Chinese Football Association and Chinese Super League. These connections have helped RCD Espanyol when it comes to launching their international academies, getting Espanyol Media up and running in the country and maximising the potential that a star like Wu Lei offers.

As Alfredo Bermejo, LaLiga’s digital strategy director, concluded: “Wu Lei presents a huge opportunity and we are determined to make the most of it through timely, informative and entertaining content. A single player can have a transformative effect on digital engagement but only if the strategy is right. Our partnerships in China, from grassroots to presidential level, are crucial to our long-term plan in the country and will be important to building lasting relationships with Chinese fans.”

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