On December 23, 2017 LaLiga fans in China gathered to watch a live-stream of the high-profile 'El Clasico' derby between F.C. Barcelona and Real Madrid C.F. at Shanghai’s World Expo Sports Park. For the first ever super-prime-time broadcast of ‘El Clasico’ in China, football fans both old and new came together in a celebratory atmosphere.
Captured through over thirty units of 4K cameras inside the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, fans were treated to a perfect entertainment spectacle. Several exciting developments were also announced at the event, which was attended by former F.C. Barcelona/French national team football player and current LaLiga ambassador Eric-Sylvain Abidal, as well as Ambassador of LaLiga official time keeper TAG Heuer, Wang Da Lei.
Fans and attendees watching the live-broadcasting of El Clásico
LiLaga Ambassador Eric-Sylvain Abidal attending the event
Wang Dalei (left) and Abidal (right)
Ahead of El Clasico, LaLiga Club held a press conference revolving around the theme: "It’s not football, it’s LaLiga." During the press conference, LaLiga Greater China Managing Director Sergi Torrents said: “We presented our finest Spanish El Clasico to Chinese football fans, media partners and VIPs in such extraordinary way. LaLiga has not only the most wonderful football games, it is also the symbol of passion, entertainment and high-technology. That's the real connotation of 'It’s not football, It’s LaLiga.'"
Sergi Torrents, General Manager of LaLiga Greater China
Reinforcing this motto, LaLiga Club announced a TV series keeping in line with the ‘China Dream, Football Dream’ theme, called Greenfield of Love. The TV series, launched with MGTV and Activation Group, is set to be broadcast through major mainstream media in late 2018. It will be a story about family, friendship and sportsmanship, an epic inscribed in sweat, challenges and love. In the series, three passionate and talented young people with the same goal will come together to win their way to the CFA Cup Final. Lin Hai Tin Tao, a top-tier scriptwriter in China, will act as a consultant for the series, working in conjunction with the Untalented Writers Studio.
It is the first professional football-related TV series in China endorsed by LaLiga, with scenes being shot on the field in Spain as well as right in LaLiga's football clubs. As real LaLiga football clubs will make up many of the shooting venues, production scenes will be one of the highlights of the show.
Tan Yin, Executive Producer of MGTV, said that Mango TV would serve as the network broadcast platform for the TV series. “The cooperation with LaLiga Club will launch China’s first full Spain-filmed TV series during the 2018 World Cup period," said Yang Jian, Vice President of Mango Entertainment.”
Poster for the TV series Greenfield of Love
The second exciting development of the evening was the announcement of a new extension of LaLiga's Club Training: the LaLiga Club Elite Training Program. Established in September 2017, LaLiga Club Training has been rolled out in Shanghai and Beijing. The new elite training program will expand to Anhui Province, and aims to introduce young Chinese players to LaLiga’s advanced football youth training system, offering students specialized, scientific and systematic football education and training courses. The goal of LaLiga Club Training is to provide the best training methods to young players and allow them to attain sufficient skills and a competitive level through a long-term, integral training process.
Group photo of all the executives in attendance
Speaking of the uniqueness of the LaLiga Club Elite Training program, the General Manager of Activation Sports, Kathy Zhou added: "The LaLiga Club’s training has successfully landed in Shanghai and Beijing. The upgrading elite training program provides professional training methodologies that opens up new opportunities and additional channels to send talents to LaLiga.”
Kathy Zhou, General Manager of Activation Sports
LaLiga has been committed to pushing forward the development of China football. Since 2015, LaLiga has been collaborating with China’s Ministry of Education and the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), having built up a close relationship throughout the cooperation. Through the ongoing program, LaLiga has dispatched 90 football coaches to over 100 public schools, where over 150,000 children have benefitted from top-level mentoring from LaLiga training coaches. This collaboration — along with the LaLiga Club Training — underlines LaLiga’s commitment to the next generation of Chinese footballers and builds on work already accomplished in the country.
Abidal attending “LaLiga Ambassador Visit Campus” event
“LaLiga club is committed to developing and creating a 360-interactive platform for fans experience," said Steve Lau, the managing director of the Activation Group. "It will be marketed through a range of initiatives to reach out to target audiences, from online and offline promotions to professional club operations. The combination of several factors will create a perfect LaLiga experience and atmosphere — a comprehensive sports offering that will appeal to the widest possible market."
LaLiga fans gathered together to watch the El Clásico
The first ever super-prime-time broadcast of ‘El Clasico’ in China was celebrated in spectacular style. The latest LaLiga technology allowed the perfect viewing experience for fans with videos, photos and exclusive content linked to the fixture’s illustrious history. LaLiga will continue to serve up a range of novel, immersive experiences and activities that bring Spanish football closer to local fans, capturing the interest of a broader market.
It’s not football, it’s LaLiga.
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