Published 3/1/2007 9:37:57 PM by Staff from AFP

Chelsea signed a deal with the Asian Football Confederation on Thursday, to develop Chinese football talent in a move the Premiership club said would help cement their Asian fan base.

Chelsea will provide financial and technical support to mainly grassroots football clubs across the country until 2010.

"Target number one is to ensure Chelsea is recognised as responsible for the development of the sport in China," the club's chief executive Peter Kenyon told reporters at AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

"Chelsea's mission is to be the world's number one club by 2014 and that cannot be realised without taking serious participation in Asia," he said.

The club will spend two million dollars a year to help finance training for Chinese leagues, and develop professional club management, marketing strategies and sports medicine.

The AFC has launched 10-team metro leagues in the Chinese cities of Qindao, Wuhan, Chengdu, Nanjing and Zibo.

It said the 10 best talents uncovered in each city will be able to train in Chelsea, while the AFC's Player of the Year will train for a month with the club.

Chelsea will work exclusively in the AFC's China programme but other clubs could participate in projects elsewhere under "Vision Asia", begun in 2003 to develop football throughout AFC's 46 member associations.

Last month, Chelsea signed an agreement with Internet portal Sina.com to become the first Premiership club to set up a website in Chinese run from China.

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