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November 13, 2015

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Coach Xu set to buy Spain club

VETERAN Shanghai coach Xu Genbao is poised to purchase a Spanish Segunda B (division) club and build a youth training camp in Lorca, a city in the autonomous community of Spain’s Murcia.

The 72-year-old took a flight to Spain yesterday evening to complete the takeover of La Hoya Lorca CF, a team based in La Hoya, a hamlet of Lorca. Xu was reported to be the sole investor and has received approval and support from Shanghai sports officials.

Xu is one of China’s best-known coaches and led Shanghai Shenhua to its only top-tier domestic title in 1995. He then spent a decade cultivating East Asia Football Club, which is now Shanghai SIPG, and which finished runner-up in the 2015 Chinese Super League.

Continuing to bank on young talent, Xu launched Shanghai Chongming Genbao Football Club on Chongming Island in July. Four months later, he is setting his sights abroad, with view to setting up a training camp in Spain.

Xu paid a visit to Murcia back in 2013 and was impressed by the natural surroundings and football fervor there. La Hoya Lorca CF boasts an academy with 1,200 young players, which was the main attraction for Xu. On hearing that the club was in need of investment, he decided to make the purchase. Details of the deal have not been unveiled.

“Lorca club’s football school is what attracted me, and I want to build an overseas football training base. Young players from Chongming and Spain can communicate. Domestic players can go to train in Spain and even play in the Segunda league. The interaction between clubs and training bases will help bring up future stars,” Xu explained.




 

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