LaLiga Santander: RCD Espanyol to open two academies in China, the club's 9^th and 10^th outside Spain

Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona (LaLiga Santander) are opening their first two RCDE academies in China, one in the Hunan Province (South of the country) and another in Yunnan (South West), according to the club on 20/07/2018.

The Hunan Academy will be set up in several months in collaboration with Rui Dong Sport, "an entity with extensive experience in the development of youth football in China and in the academic education of players. It has a large logistic and operational team and solid government support. In addition, it collaborates with 30 schools that have more than 3.000 students," explained the Catalan club, who added that "it is an ambitious and powerful project, within the line of internationalisation of RCD Espanyol de Barcelona."

RCDE Academy Yunnan, which has a five-year contract, will open in September 2018 under the direction of Weimei Ye Zhan, who is already in charge of the academy for young Chinese and Asian players in Sabadell (near Barcelona, ESP) which was inaugurated in June 2017, in partnership with the Chinese club HLK.

These two academies…