AFC and Chelsea FC renewed their agreement on Tuesday formalising the English Premier League club’s’ support to AFC’s football development project – Vision Asia.

The agreement was signed by AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam and Chelsea FC Chief Executive Officer Ron Gourlay in a simple ceremony at AFC House here.

The partnership aims to support the development of football in China, one of the biggest AFC Vision Asia projects, and also other projects as and when the need arises after a mutual agreement between AFC and Chelsea.

Under the renewed agreement, Chelsea FC’s involvement with Vision Asia includes providing instructors for coaching clinics, management workshops, grassroots support (coaching) and extending financial support to the projects.

The AFC Youth Player of the Year will also have the chance to train for a month with the Blues as well as 10 select youth players from the AFC Vision Asian projects in China for two weeks.

Bin Hammam welcomed Chelsea FC as a partner in AFC’s quest to develop football in the continent.

He said: “This is a great chance for a club to work with a football confederation to develop football. Since the first contract was signed four years ago, we have developed our football a lot and overcome some of the challenges in improving the grassroots level of football.

“Currently 38 cities are part of the Vision Asia development programme and the snowball is still rolling.

“On behalf of all in Asia, we would like to welcome Chelsea FC. We are very proud and delighted with this relationship with Chelsea,” the AFC chief said.

Gourlay said that Chelsea are proud of the relationship with AFC and its work in Vision Asia and are looking forward to developing football, especially in China.

“Since Chelsea and AFC signed the agreement the first time in 2007, it’s been an exciting time for us at the club to have the chance to work with a confederation to develop football especially in China.

“We believe the game is getting stronger in Asia and we are happy to be a part of it by spreading our wings to Asia. We look forward to continuing our work with AFC Vision Asia,” said Gourlay.

Vision Asia, the brainchild of Bin Hammam, is a unique all-encompassing programme that helps participating AFC member associations develop their football covering all aspects of the game such as marketing, refereeing, competitions, coaching, youth and grassroots, women and more.

When the cooperation was signed in 2007, Chelsea FC became the first European football club to approach AFC with the philosophy of giving, not only taking, from the Asian market.

Chelsea believes its approach to the Asian market, specifically China, is different from other European clubs as it is based on partnerships which will help develop football in Asian markets, while also forming part of the club’s overall business strategy.

In the last four years, AFC and Chelsea FC have worked together in five Vision China projects – Qingdao, Wuhan, Chengdu, Nanjing and Zibo. Vision China is now being extended to five more new cities – Dalian, Kunming, Yongchuan, Dalian and Qinhuangdao.

Source: the-afc.com

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