Club Italia Master, an official association of former Italian professional soccer players, has signed a strategic partnership with a Chinese sports agency to promote soccer to Chinese teenagers.

Under the deal, a number of Italian coaches will be introduced to Chinese schools for training and a series of camps will be organized both in China and Italy.

Additionally, club sides from Europe will be invited to China for friendly matches, according to the organization.

"The superb skills and tactics of Italian soccer have left a deep impression on the Chinese audience in the past years," said Laura Egoli, consul general of Italy in Guangzhou.

In recent years, Chinese people’s passion towards Italian soccer has been aroused along with the achievement of World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi and his successor Fabio Cannavaro at Guangzhou Evergrande, a five-time champion of the Chinese Super League.

"We are glad to see that soccer is played with much attention in China and we are willing to enhance the cooperation between China and Italy in this sector," said Egoli.

With a core mission of promoting the sports value of soccer to teenagers, the club was founded in 1980, including several big names including Paolo Rossi, Paolo Maldini, Cannavaro, Roberto Baggio, Salvatore Schillaci and Filippo Inzaghi.

"We are more than willing to introduce soccer concepts, experience, modes and methods to China to promote friendly exchanges between Italy and China," said Schillaci, who is also the soccer ambassador of Club Italia Master.

qiuquanlin@chinadaily.com.cn