China under-20 side to play in German fourth tier
In the south-western section of the Regionalliga, the fourth tier of the German pyramid, may soon have a distinctly exotic flavour. Plans are afoot to induct the Chinese under- 20 side into the competition, and next season they could be going head-to-head with teams such as Saarbrucken, Ulm and the second-strings of Hoffenheim, Mainz and Freiburg.
The idea stems from a football-partnership pact concluded a few months ago by the Chinese and German governments, a five-year agreement of mutual benefit, with the Deutschland federation offering its substantial soccer know-how to the Asian powerhouse and the German game gaining privileged access to the huge Chinese market.
This story is from the July 2017 edition of World Soccer.
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This story is from the July 2017 edition of World Soccer.
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