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FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2011 file photo, Barcelona youth players from 'La Masia' football academy warm up at the Barcelona FC's Joan Gamper training camp in San Joan Despi, Spain. The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Tuesday Dec. 30, 2014 dismissed Barcelona's appeal and upheld the transfer ban FIFA imposed on the club for infringing regulations on registering minors as youth players. CAS said in a statement that “Barcelona had breached the rules regarding the protection of minors and the registration of minors attending football academies.” The ruling means Barcelona will be barred from signing any players in 2015. Barcelona is renowned for training and educating young players such as Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta at it's La Masia academy, in the hope they develop the talent to graduate to the senior team. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

Ronaldinho to Teach at Chinese Football Academy Modelled on Barcelona's La Masia

Christopher SimpsonMar 6, 2017

Barcelona are set to open a new footballing academy in China modelled on their famed La Masia school of football, and Blaugrana legend Ronaldinho will be among the teaching staff.

Per Xu Jingxi of China Daily, Barcelona are teaming up with Chinese company Mission Hills Group—who develop golf resorts and hotels—to open a new academy in Haikou, Hainan province, that will house 1,000 children between the ages of six and 18.

The academy—Barca's 26th overseas facility—will have seven pitches for both boys and girls to learn and practice their craft on, with the club unprecedentedly providing their own technical staff to oversee the school's management, including ambassador Ronaldinho.

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The former Brazil star recently visited the South China Sea island province ahead of the academy launch, per China Xinhua News:

La Masia has produced some of the Catalan giants' biggest stars over the years, with stalwarts Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique among them.

A successfully replicated academy could help the Chinese Football Association meet their goals of having "50 million people playing soccer on a daily basis by 2020, having a top-notch national team by 2030 and growing into a global soccer power by 2050."

Indeed, according to The Guardian's Tom Phillips and Wang Zhen, the academy—which will cost $8.5 million to build—could be one of 50,000 that Chinese president Xi Jinping plans to open over the next eight years in order to help reach their targets.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu told Hainan Daily (h/t Phillips and Zhen) he hopes their new academy will help China realise its goal of becoming a "football powerhouse."

Per Jingxi, he added:

"
More and more European players have come to play in the Chinese Super League, but by improving youth training, hopefully we can have more homegrown talent playing in the Super League and even European leagues.
I’m sure we will see a graduate from our Haikou academy playing for Barcelona in the future.
"

As well as potentially stealing a march on their European rivals when it comes to recruiting any top young talent emerging from China, Barca might also benefit from the site, as it is "ideal" for winter training during La Liga's break.