University of Beijing comes out in force for Barça visit

More than 4.000 Chinese students applied for tickets to listen to Barça President Sandro Rosell. Finally, 400 of the lucky ones were able to get in to here the Club President speak at the main hall in the University 

The day finished with a visit to the Olympic Stadium and an informal get together with Spanish and Catalan correspondents

The second day of the President's trip to China was dominated by his speech at the University of Beijing, where the massive reaction of the students served as a clear indication of the Club's high profile in the Asian market. More than 4,000 students had applied for tickets to hear Sr Rosell's speech in the main hall of the University, but in the end only about 400 could get into the packed hall to hear him and discover more about the Club's current situation and their intentions to expand into China.

There were also questions about the Club's plans to strengthen football at grassroots level in China, with Sr Rosell stressing the importance of the campus the Club plan to open in Beijing in the near future. As to the chance of Sunday lunchtime kick offs – which would suit the Chinese TV market – President Rosell pleaded for understanding of the members' traditional habits of coming to the Camp Nou in the evening –preferably after a family lunch. However, the President did admit that if the TV operators or the league authorities required it of them the Club would schedule a game at lunchtime.

Visit to the Olympic Stadium

Another important appointment for the Club party was the visit to the Beijing Olympic Stadium, better known as the Bird's Nest Stadium, to ratify the recent strategic collaboration agreement with the Beijing Council owned company Inter Sport to promote the Club's image in the Chinese market through events such as the sporting campuses due to be set up over the next five years. The Club representatives were met by the Sports Department of the Beijing Council who presented the President with a scale model of the Olympic Stadium.

The day finished with an informal get together with correspondents of Spanish and Catalan media outlets in China.