Juventus expands in China with new strategy

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Italian Serie A champions Juventus are expanding in China with a new lifestyle-oriented strategy after another successful domestic season.

Winning seven consecutive titles in Italian Serie A, the soccer club is trying to seek changes outside the football field.

Juventus brand development manager Luca Adornato says the team does not want to be "just a football club" in China, adding that China has become an important part of the club's global footprint.

Sohu Photo

"Although Juventus has a long history, the club realized that we need to let a wider audience know about Juventus, not only...football fans," Adornato said.

Boasting more than 58 million fans in China, Adornato said Juventus can be a bridge in bringing talents, ideas and tactics to China, amid the background that many Chinese football players and clubs have made progress with the help of European clubs.

At the same time, Juventus Legend Edgar Davids went to Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province last weekend, interacting with local fans and had a match with young players from the Juventus Football Academy in Meishan, a city in Sichuan.

Sohu Photo

According to Davids, China is very important for Juventus' new brand strategy. "China has a huge population and the number of football fans keeps growing. What is more, people here have strong desire to develop football," said Davids.

Juventus opened its first academy in Shanghai in 2016 to train the country's young professional players.

(with inputs from Xinhua)