体坛英语资讯：Wu Lei draws attention of La Liga to Chinese football players: Javier Tebas_娱乐

体坛英语资讯：Wu Lei draws attention of La Liga to Chinese football players: Javier Tebas

BEIJING, March 11 -- In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, La Liga president Javier Tebas heaped praise on Chinese player Wu Lei's performance thus far in the league, and revealed the great interest that many Spanish football clubs have in introducing Chinese players.

Tevas believes Wu Lei has made an outstanding contribution to the team in several important matches after joining RCD Espanyol. His excellent performance has also triggered many other Spanish clubs' interest in introducing well-performing Chinese players, including some top clubs.

"One thing is certain: Some La Liga clubs do have the interest in introducing Chinese players and have already taken action. They have either already arrived in China, or on the way here," Tebas said.

Before, only big Spanish clubs, such as Real Madrid and Barcelona, have had significant influence in China. But in recent years, La Liga is devoting more and more effort to small and medium Spanish clubs in order to expand their influence here, like Espanyol. "Thus, we would like other clubs to carry on seeking out and finding more opportunities in China," he said.

"La Liga is currently helping many small and medium clubs open their Chinese social media accounts to allow Chinese fans to get more acquainted with them. We hope that a larger number of Chinese players are attracted to join Spanish clubs through this method as early as possible."

According to the president, matches and scheduling are key issues for enlarging their presence in the Chinese market, and one of the most important strategies is optimizing game times. At present, La Liga is planning to add match periods that fit the prime time for Chinese viewers. In the meantime, the association is providing assistance to more clubs to play in China. Tebas expressed expectation that Espanyol might play a match in China this summer.