VietNamNet Bridge – The CEO in Asia Pacific of Barcelona FC, Xavier Asensi, said at a press conference in Hanoi on March 8 that the FC will consider visiting Vietnam from 2017.

SHB Chairman Do Quang Hien receives a Barcelona’s jersey No 77 from Xavier Asensi, FC Barcelona Asia Pacific managing director (Photo countersy of SHB) 

Photo: Mr. Do Quang Hien receives a Barcelona FC jersey from Sensi at the signing ceremony on March 8.

Mr. Do Quang Hien, Chairman of T&T Group and the boss of SHB Da Nang FC, on March 8 signed a strategic cooperation agreement to develop the co-branded cards with Barcelona FC.

At the press conference after the event, CEO of FC Barcelona in Asia Pacific Xavier Asensi said the FC will consider sending its stars like Messi, Neymar ... to Vietnam.

"To bring Barca to Vietnam, firstly we must have a trusted partner. This condition has been met after the signing ceremony today. However, we are very busy in 2016 so we cannot go to Asia. In 2017, if Barcelona goes to Asia, we will choose Vietnam for sure," said Asensi.

However, he said: "Currently, we do not have any official talks about bringing Barcelona FC to Vietnam."

According to Asensi, there are a lot of criteria to invite Barcelona, of which the community of fans in the host country is very important.

"I can confirm that Vietnamese fans are very passionate. We and our partner will take many activities to develop the community of Barcelona fans in Vietnam in the coming time," he added.

After the event, SHB Bank became the first and only partner of Barcelona in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

“We are so happy to have SHB as our first ever banking partner in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. SHB is young and taking a leading role in the industry, while Barcelona is deep-rooted and has been successful in defending its glory. I do believe the collaboration between these two different yet similar entities will create huge buzz and synergy,” Xavier Asensi, FCB Asia Pacific’s managing director, said.

FCB Vice President Manel Arroyo said the signing of this new regional sponsorship deal reaffirmed their interest in increasing the team’s presence in Asia. It also reflected how the club was gaining notable levels of notoriety in this strategic zone, which encouraged them to continue enhancing their presence in the region.

“SHB is proud to be the first and only partner bank of FC Barcelona in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. This is not just a business opportunity for SHB; it will benefit a large number of football fans, in particular, and sports fans, in general,” SHB Chairman Do Quang Hien said.

FCB are now a leading club in the world. They currently own 23 La Liga titles, 27 Copas Del Rey, 11 national Super Cups and two Spain League Cups.

In the international arena, FCB have also grabbed 19 trophies, including the UEFA Champions League and Clubs World Cup.

SHB, which ranks amongst the top five private commercial banks in the country, is currently the main sponsor of SHB Da Nang FC.

In 2014, SHB became the only banking strategic partner of Manchester City in Vietnam, which invited and sponsored European giant Manchester City to Hanoi last July.

Son Tung