BPA in China: mission to find new opportunities for Barça ex-players

The President of the Barça Players Association (BPA), Ramon Alfonseda, and the Director, Luis Ortiz de Zevallos, recently visited the city of Beijing (China) on an institutional mission in which they represented the Association in order to spread knowledge of the Association’s work, and also to look for new allies in Asia.

Organised by Indescat, the cluster that brings together companies and research centres which are linked to the world of Catalonian sport, the BPA’s participation on this mission was motivated by the wish to offer new career opportunities to FC Barcelona ex-players and also to look for further possibilities for growth in terms of the Association’s activities.

There were various aims for the trip. First of all, because of the Association’s “social role”, one of the intentions was to look for new job opportunities for coaches who have gained qualifications through the BPA’s programmes for coaches. This was something that had been achieved in 2016, thanks to the Association’s presence at a congress in the USA, opening the door to as many as twenty coaching positions. Second of all, the BPA offered to organise talks, consulting, training sessions and matches. Furthermore, in collaboration with FCB Escola, the possibility of organising football camps for boys and girls in China was also spoken about.

One constant characteristic throughout the meetings with Chinese organisations was their interest in the Barça values. Some of those who interacted with the BPA representatives let them know that “Chinese culture has a lot of respect for the working on of values”. 

The BPA delegation made contact with organisations such as Sanyi Football Club, located in the area of the Beijing National Stadium, who could be interested in the profiles of coaches with experience. They also exchanged opinions with Soda Soccer, a football website, for the organisation for events, and with Hua Han Sports, organisers of sporting activities, in order to work together on, amongst other things, women’s football.