German Bundesliga on the hunt for Chinese expansion

Berlin, June 12 (IANS) German Bundesliga clubs are keeping a close eye on Chinese football with a view to adding some Chinese players to their squads in the future.According to Bundesliga CEO Robert Klein, Germany's top flight football league will increase its efforts to become the most popular European league in China, with a focus on market expansion in the world's most populous country, reports Xinhua news agency."We would like to get one, two, or three more Chinese players into the Bundesliga," Klein said.Things could develop fast as both clubs and Bundesliga "would love to have something happen in the next season or the coming seasons," he added.The importance of the Chinese market has long been emphasized by Klein. Six of the 18 Bundesliga clubs currently have offices in China.Many footballing exchanges are ongoing between the two countries, especially in the fields of coaching and training, and Klein also highlighted the Bundesliga's 20-year broadcasting history in China."Our research shows we have a huge fan base there," Klein said, adding that the key issue is to get close to fans as much as possible in the digital era.Klein revealed that the Bundesliga has increased its presence on social media channels in China to satisfy the need and the demand for short video content.
--IANS dm/bbh