Vietnamese football fans will likely welcome members of FC Barcelona to the country in 2017.
Thanks to a partnership with Saigon Hanoi Commercial Bank (SHB), the Barcelona team is expected to prioritize Vietnam as a destination for its Asian exhibition games, reports Tuoi Tre.
The agreement between the Spanish football club and the Vietnamese bank was finalized yesterday at a signing ceremony which included SHB chairman Do Quang Hien and Barca's director of Asia Pacific regional affairs Xavier Asensi, according to VTC. The partnership is intended to foster the development of football in Vietnam in addition to promoting the Spanish football club's image abroad.
“To expand into Vietnam, we must have a reliable partner,” Asensi told the press at the signing ceremony.
He continued: “In 2017, if Barca comes to Asia, Vietnam will have many opportunities to welcome the world's top football stars.”
Now in effect, the agreement will allow SHB to sell Barcelona merchandise in Vietnam, while FC Barcelona's members will run training camps for Vietnamese youth as well as Vietnamese football managers.
If SHB's previous football efforts are any indication, a visit from Barcelona is highly likely: in 2015, the bank's collaboration with Manchester City's football club resulted in a friendly match with Vietnamese players. Manchester won 8-1 in Hanoi last July.
[Photo via FC Barcelona]
