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China's Olympic team trains with Chelsea
Feb. 1, 2007
By CHROS McDOUGALL
Associated Press Writer
LONDON (AP) _ Jose Mourinho's influence is spreading to China.
The Chelsea manager, who has guided his team to two straight Premier League titles, is helping China's under-23 team prepare for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
"We are an open club," Mourinho said Wednesday at Chelsea's Cobham training complex. "We have nothing to hide and we have everything to share."
The Chinese team is coached by Ratomir Dujkovic, the Serbian who led Ghana to the second round of last year's World Cup in Germany. The team will spend the next two weeks training at Chelsea's facilities, and also play three friendlies.
Besides helping the team prepare for the next Olympic soccer tournament, the trip is designed to help Chelsea build its international audience, Chelsea's business affairs officer Paul Allen said.
"There is no secret to Chelsea's ambitions to become the most popular club around the world and in particular to grow its fan base in China," Allen said.
Mourinho said his training sessions will be open and he'll be ready to explain his decisions. There will also be a series of seminars and instructional sessions by Chelsea staff on technical, coaching and medical issues.
"England is the source of the modern football game all over the world, and they have the highest level of players and coaches," Li Xiaoguang of the Chinese Football Association said. "Besides that, Chelsea as a club is one of the top all over the world."
China has never won a medal in the Olympic soccer tournament, but the team is optimistic after winning its three group games at the 2005 under-20 worlds in the Netherlands. The core of that team is now on the Olympic team.
"We are hosts and we believe we can do it," Dujkovic said. "For me, it is the gold medal. This is what I'm looking for."
There are seven Chinese players with European clubs this season, including four in the Premier League.
Mourinho said Chelsea would sign a Chinese player if the club believes he can play at the Premier League's level, but it will not sign a player just to break into the Chinese market.
"It is not a compulsory situation," Mourinho said. "'We must have a Chinese player because we have a cooperation with the country.' No, absolutely not. If the talent is there, we find the talent and realize if the talent is good enough."
The Chinese team will play a Chelsea reserve team at Griffin Park on Feb. 5, then face Queens Park Rangers at Sipson Lane on Feb. 7, and Brentford at Cobham on Feb. 13.
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Copyright 2007 By The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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