Ajax to cooperate with China youth program

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Ajax has signed a three-year contract to cooperate with the China Football Association's youth program.

Ajax says the club's commercial director Henri van der Aat signed the deal Wednesday in Beijing.

Van der Aat said that the "China Football Association youth trainers will be given insight into our training methods and the association will send a delegation of coaches each year for training in Amsterdam,"

Ajax's world-renowned youth training scheme has cultivated stars like Johann Cruyff, Patrick Kluivert, Clarence Seedorf and Wesley Sneijder.

China's national youth teams also will play in tournaments organized by Ajax, and the Amsterdam club's first team will visit China to play the national or Olympic team.