Italian giants AC Milan have joined hands with Chinese academy operator PacificPine Sports for a long-term partnership, which will also see the team open a new office in Shanghai along with sports centres across China.
The opening of a new office and the new partnership with PacificPine Sports is viewed as a reflection of the growing popularity of AC Milan as a brand in the Chinese market. The strategic move by the Rossoneri comes after a recently conducted study by international market research and data analytics YouGov that showed that AC Milan is the best-regarded Italian Club in China.
The new partnership will make its first academic presence in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. After Shenzhen, they’ll expand throughout the country with other sports centers. With the establishment of a new office in Shanghai, AC Milan will be able to further develop its commercial and communications strategy in China, meeting the needs of the market.
The team’s presence in China goes back to 2017 when AC Milan’s first-ever office outside Italy opened in the Chinese capital city Beijing. Ever since, the club has been a part of the key market with its physical presence, which has enabled them to look out for new partners and licensing opportunities and seek proper management of content for the historic club’s social media platforms in China. The idea behind the project is to create an advanced sports program that will help children below 18 with personal growth along with the sport.
AC Milan Vice-President, Franco Baresi, “We are delighted to go back to China and bring our professionalism and experience to Shenzhen through our Academy. I’m sure that, together with PacificPine, we can do a great job for all the children and the new generations in China.”
Raymond Roessel, co-chief executive and co-founder of PacificPine Sports said: “We have always wanted to develop a football program in China – as football is the most popular sport in the country – and we believe that AC Milan is the right partner for it.”