China’s president, Xi Jinping, wrapped up his UK visit with a tour of Manchester City’s new football academy, highlighting sport as a key area for the two countries to strengthen cooperation and exchange.
Mr Xi visited the club’s 80 acre youth development and first team training site in central Manchester on Friday.
The football academy, which opened in December, is a “central element” of the club’s strategy to grow the brand globally.
The City brand is now attached to clubs owned in the United States, Australia and Japan.
Earlier this month City reported its first profit in the seven years since Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bought the football club in 2008. The club made a £10.7 million (Dh60.6m) after-tax profit for the 2014-15 season thanks to record annual revenues of £351.8m and a reduced wage bill, according to its latest annual report.
During his tour of City’s academy, Mr Xi said that sport was an important part of China-UK exchanges and that China could learn from British football, Reuters reported. Greater cooperation on sport would promote closer ties between the two countries, he said.
In his comments, Mr Xi noted the sport’s global appeal and the UK’s role as a football power.
City’s Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said that Mr Xi’s visit was “testament” to the club’s strong links with China and to its “ambitions for them to deepen and grow”.
Mr Xi’s affection for “the beautiful game” has moved it up the list of national priorities, with plans to expose more children to the sport.
During the tour of the club’s state of the art facilities, City’s Argentinian international striker Sergio Aguero took a selfie of himself with China’s president, an avid football fan, and British Prime Minister David Cameron, which he then posted on social media.
malrawi@thenational.ae
* with Reuters
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