Guangzhou Evergrande to open school in Spain

Defending Chinese Super League champion Guangzhou Evergrande is to establish a soccer branch school in Spain, it was revealed on Tuesday.

The announcement came just days after another big move by the club, introducing Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba as a strategic partner, paying up to 1.2 billion yuan for a 50 percent stake in the club.

Liu Jiangnan, president of the Evergrande Soccer School, said establishment of the Spanish school, based in Madrid, is part of the club's strategy to boost Chinese soccer.

The Evergrande school, a cooperative project between real estate company Evergrande and La Liga giant Real Madrid that started operation in 2012, boasts an experienced youth training crew from the Spanish club and academic education provided by South China Normal University.