Real Madrid has signed an agreement with the Chinese Ministry of Education to implement a project that seeks to introduce football classes in the country's state schools, reports Soccerex Business Daily. The School Soccer Master Plan for China will be developed in two phases. In the first stage the plan and its implementation strategy will be designed in a process that aims to take no longer than 12 months. In the second stage the plan will be applied as a pilot study in the state schools of Shanghai and Xiamen.
Real said the project will be financed by a group of private businesses and public institutions from China and other countries. The Primera Division giant said the football classes will seek to educate boys and girls in the "values inherent to the sport."
The agreement marks the culmination of a memorandum of understanding the Real Madrid Foundation signed in April with the Chinese University Sports Federation and the Chinese School Sport Federation.
"Neither a ball nor football recognise frontiers," said Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, according to the Marca newspaper. "Real Madrid is a universal entity and fully aware that we have to respond to the affection and regard we receive from anywhere in the world."
