Madrid, March 30 (IANS): La Liga football club Real Sociedad have agreed to extend their contact with their Chinese sponsor Qianbao until 2020.
Real Sociedad's president Jokn Aperribay signed the deal with the internet service company in the city of Nanjing on Monday, reports Xinhua.
Qianbao, who also sponsor Madrid-based club Rayo Vallecano, originally agreed a one year deal with the San Sebastian-based side, who are coached by former Manchester United boss, David Moyes, in 2014.
Zhang Xiaolei, president of Nanjing Qianbao Information and Media Co. Ltd, said the agreement confirmed the "springtime of football and the springtime of the cooperation between both entities who were approaching their best moment of the year."
"I am very happy and grateful to Real Sociedad for the agreement, which is a good one for the union between Spanish and Chinese football. I am certain it will have positive results and we will do all we can to help develop Chinese football," he said.
Part of the agreement will see Real Sociedad, a club with one of the most productive youth systems in Spain, work to help coach groups of young Chinese players, in a similar way that other Spanish clubs Atletico Madrid, Valencia and Villarreal currently do.
"The cooperation between Real Sociedad and Qbao.com is from a deep sincerity and friendship. We are starting what will be various years strategic cooperation and it is going to be based in three areas: publicity, Real Sociedad's strategic projects in Spain and the formations of projects with Qbao.com in China," said Apperibay.
"We have been playing football at our club for over 100 years and over 70 of those have been based on forming and educating young players. Now we are going to give that experience to your company and the football school we are going to create will be one of the best," he promised.