China juniors to play 16 German clubs

BERLIN: China’s Under-20 team will on Saturday play the first of 16 planned friendlies against German fourth-division opposition in a controversial experiment aimed at advancing the Asian superpower’s chances at the 2020 Olympics.

China’s under-20 men’s national squad will play a series of friendly matches in Germany over the next six months to help develop them with an eye on the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

In a distinctive red strip, with alternate colours of yellow and white, China’s under-20s will play clubs in Germany’s fourth-tier Regionalliga Suedwest (south-west regional league), but will not be included in the league table.

Three teams have refused to face the Chinese, but the other 16 clubs in the 19-strong league will each be paid 15,000 euros ($17,634) for playing the under-20 team.It is the first time a junior national team will play a series of games against clubs in the German league pyramid.