The German Football Association and Sino-German Eco-park sign a cooperation agreement to promote the German young player coaching system in China. [Photo/ sino-germanecopark.gov.cn]

The German Football Association or the Deutscher Fussball-Bund (DFB) and Qingdao-based Sino-German Eco-park signed a strategic cooperation agreement to promote the German young player coaching system in China on Sept 22, the Qingdao Daily reported.

According to the agreement, both sides will join hands to cultivate football coaches and young players as well as to promote football economy and culture in China.

Klaus Schlappner (middle), the first foreign coach to manage the Chinese national soccer team, and Su Maozhen (left), a former national player, attend the signing ceremony. [Photo/Qingdao Daily]

The deal also includes construction of a German football base in the city, which will house football fields, facilities for training and health examination and a Bundesliga promotion center, according to Zhao Shiyu, director at the eco-park's administrative committee.

The base will be designated as an official training center in Asia by DFB, which is expected to offer 50,000 football teachers for Chinese schools and sports institutions in the next decade.

DFB, headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, was founded in 1900. Affiliated with over 25,000 clubs, DFB now has more than 6.8 million members, making it one of the biggest social networks in Germany. Thanks to its leadership, the German football industry contributes over 5.1 billion euros ($5.7 billion) to the national economy every year, accounting for 0.2 percent of its GDP.