(Screenshot of the Press Conference AC MILAN China Tour 2017)

AC Milan created the AC Milan Special Fund on Sunday to promote the development of soccer in Chinese primary schools, according to the AC Milan China Tour Press Conference.

The cooperation with China Next Generation Education Foundation is its first project after the Chinese-owned company bought the club.

The executive director, Han Li, said the AC Milan training camp for teenagers will continue to operate in the same way, and the fund will be used for providing soccer infrastructure and paying for coaches.

Zhang Lu, a famous soccer commentator, described the project as a medicine that will cure Chinese soccer. “The biggest problem for Chinese soccer right now is that people are seeking quick success and instant benefits. Educators pay more attention to professional teams rather than popularization of the sport,” Zhang said. “This project will help solve that.”

“The plan will encourage students to have small soccer matches after school so that students can exercise their bodies and minds. We should realize that very few will join professional teams. The important thing is to improve the quality of next generation,” Zhang added.

According to the official, thirty primary schools in Guangdong, Shanxi, and Jilin provinces will be supported, and ten will be located in Beijing.

Zhang said the supported amount will increase to 1,000 in three years. He estimates that 250,000 students will benefit from the project at one time.