China Super League club Inter Shanghai will play its home matches in Xi'an, capital city of Shaanxi province, in 2006. Shanghai Yungtay Engineering, which bought the club from Shanghai Cosco Real Estate and Salim Group last season, will retain the majority stake with former chairman Xu Zexian's Xi'an-based Xi Xia Real Estate company holding a minority, Sinsosoc reported.
With three China Super League teams and one China League side in Shanghai, Xu has felt for some time that competition in the eastern coastal city is too strong and that a move to Xi'an is in the best interests of Inter Shanghai. The ‘Terracotta Army city’ is currently without a top-level football team after Shaanxi Guoli moved to Harbin.
Wang Guolin will continue as the club's general manager, with head coach Cheng Yaodong also to stay on. Former Shaanxi Guoli sponsor, Xi'an Lijun Medical Ltd, has agreed to sponsor the newly arrived club which is considering a name change to win over local fans
With three China Super League teams and one China League side in Shanghai, Xu has felt for some time that competition in the eastern coastal city is too strong and that a move to Xi'an is in the best interests of Inter Shanghai. The ‘Terracotta Army city’ is currently without a top-level football team after Shaanxi Guoli moved to Harbin.
Wang Guolin will continue as the club's general manager, with head coach Cheng Yaodong also to stay on. Former Shaanxi Guoli sponsor, Xi'an Lijun Medical Ltd, has agreed to sponsor the newly arrived club which is considering a name change to win over local fans
See also: Two parties interested in China's Inter Shanghai (30 Aug)