体坛英语新闻：China becomes new pitch for Argentine big football games

BUENOS AIRES, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Games between Argentina's two top football clubs Boca Juniors and River Plate are not only on the pitch, but also tapping into the Chinese market.

While Boca Juniors concluded two training programs for junior players from China, River Plate makes steps to take over the language barrier between the club and its Chinese fans.

The spokesman of River Plate told Xinhua earlier this week that Rodolfo D'Onofrio, president of the club, has decided to redesign its website where a Chinese version could be expected early next month.

This move, according to the spokesman, will provide better access for Chinese football lovers to understand the team and its culture, and thus helps the club to accumulate fans.

However, River Plate's ambition is far beyond what the spokesman told media.

Ever since taking over as the club president last January, D'Onofrio has adopted a series measures to strengthen ties with the Chinese market, including training and recruiting Chinese players. Moreover, sources said the president is thinking about "exporting" the match between Boca Junior and River Plate to China.

D'Onofrio's idea has been echoed by Victoria Nicholas Cork, the secretary-general of Argentine Football Coach Association. The organization, founded in 1963, with some 12,000 individual members and 60 institutional members, has launched a Chinese version of its online training courses already.

Though football cooperation between China and Argentina has just started, Nicholas eyes great business opportunity in it.

"Argentina has experience in football training which is badly need by China. We are trying to feed this need and provide training to Chinese football coaches through our online courses," he said.

The potential for cooperation between Argentina, a world football powerhouse, and China, a nation with full passion to win better records in football games, is huge.

During recent years, the two countries have carried on close cooperation in exchanging training experience and football players.

Last July, 17 junior players from China's Beijing Guoan Football Club received intensive training in Boca Juniors, during which the Argentine football legend Diego Marodona came in person to give instructions to the Chinese youngsters.

In January this year, 16 pupils of Tsinghua University Primary School in Beijing went to the club's Candy Box Stadium for a two-week training.

It is reported that the primary school and the Argentine Football Association's business representative have signed a 10-year strategic cooperation agreement.

The two sides will not only enhance personnel exchange with each other, but also build a football training base for junior players with joint effort in Beijing, according to the agreement.