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Sino-Italian soccer exchange to be enhanced

By Chen Xiangfeng (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-07 15:00

Chinese Football Association (CFA) Super League Co. Ltd, Inter Milan and the two sides' corporate partner, Pirelli, held a meeting yesterday in Beijing to discuss how to enhance soccer co-operation between China and Italy.

The parties emerged committed to promoting soccer exchange and enhancing the competitive strength of the domestic top-flight Chinese Super League (CSL).

Lu Feng, general manager of CFA Super League Co. Ltd, said the CSL had been making progress thanks to the sponsorship deal struck with Italian tire company Pirelli earlier this year.

"Pirelli has provided a stable economic base for the CSL for the next few years which will advance the development of Chinese soccer," Lu said.

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The CSL had been struggling to find a major sponsor following a series of scandals over the past few years including match-fixing, the 'black whistle' affair and on and off pitch violence.

Inter Milan have started a grassroots program in China and plan to expand it in the future.

"We came to China in 1998 and became actively integrated into Chinese communities and culture," said Ernesto Paolillo, CEO and General Manger of Inter.

"We have done grassroots work in Qingdao and we opened the Inter Campus for children living in rural areas. We hope that by creating exchange programs, China will have a better understanding of Inter and Italian football and we can play an enhanced role in Sino-Italian cultural exchanges."