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Lunar New Year: Inter Milan, Liverpool and Man United ring in Year of the Ox
- European giants Real Madrid, Juventus and Bayern Munich target China and other Asian countries celebrating Lunar New Year
- Chinese-owned teams and English Premier League sides lead the way in what has become an annual event on football calendar
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The Lunar New Year is upon us and nowhere is it more keenly marked than by the biggest clubs in European football.
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Despite disputes as diverse as Chinese broadcast rights – first with the English Premier League and now Italy’s Serie A – and former Arsenal player Mesut Ozil’s social media support for the Muslim Uygurs in China’s Xinjiang region, the Lunar New Year will be rung in once more.
These annual celebrations have become a key part on the calendar for those clubs with an eye on China and beyond where they look to build fanbases – and then cash in on them with lucrative marketing and sponsorship deals in the region, or even attract investment into the club.
This Year of the Ox, starting on Friday, is no different and it is the usual suspects who are making the effort despite the impact of Covid-19.
Inter Milan, who are owned by Chinese retail giant Suning (at least for the time being), have long gone above and beyond – the Year of the Ox is no different.
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