AFC joins hands with Chelsea FC to benefit Asian football

The AFC and English Premier League champions Chelsea have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to back AFC”s Vision Asia project to develop grassroots football across the continent.

AFC President Mohammed Bin Hammam and Chelsea”s Chief Executive Officer Peter Kenyon signed the MoU on the sidelines of the Vision China Football Development Conference in Qingdao on April 25, 2006. Based on the MoU, the London club will provide technical and financial assistance to the program.

Bin Hammam, who has been critical of big European clubs” lucrative tours to Asia and leaving nothing behind, agreed it was “a historic moment” because “this is the first time a European club came to Asia to give and not to take from us⬝.

“Vision Asia is the most ambitious and exciting program in world football today,” Kenyon said. “It fits absolutely with Chelsea”s vision of being one of the big clubs by 2014.⬝

Kenyon added: “We”ve been successful on the field and what we”re about is building a successful sustainable team and this is an extension of that. (But) we”re not in this to get players cheaply or to come on tour or do those things. What we”re talking about is investment in a long-term market and looking to support the local product, which is critical. It”s really important for global football that Asian football is developing and then there”s a benefit for everyone.”

Kenyon said that although there would be a financial element to the deal, Chelsea would primarily be looking to help out in marketing, media, training and sports medicine. “They”re all core components of what we do every day and it”s really evaluating those and bringing those to the table. What we”re talking about is being a long-term partner,” he said.

Vision China, part of the AFC”s continental Vision Asia program, has successfully launched 10-team metro leagues in the Chinese cities of Qingdao and Wuhan and with help from the Chinese Football Association (CFA) the project will now be extended to 15 cities including Beijing and Shanghai.

“What I”ve experienced in the last two days has been quite remarkable,” said Kenyon at the Vision China Football Development Conference in Qingdao. “I think it”s as exciting a football project as any that”s going on in the world. They”ve proved in these two cities that it”s not theoretical, it”s really working.”

(the-afc)