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Milicic wants Chinese to focus on future or risk falling further behind

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Tuesday, September 9th 2025 at 13:45 GMT by reuters.com

Milicic Calls for a Chinese‑Centred Future or Risk Falling Further Behind

By Reuters Staff – 9 September 2025

In a sharply worded interview published this week, Serbian‑born head coach Miloš Milicic – who has been at the helm of FC Dynamo Bulgaria since the beginning of the season – laid out a bold roadmap for the club’s next five years. “If we do not put China at the core of our strategy, we will continue to lag behind clubs that are already tapping into that market, both in terms of revenue and brand reach,” Milicic said.

Milicic’s comments come at a time when the club’s board has been under intense pressure to reverse a four‑year slump. After a string of poor finishes – the club has never been higher than 12th in the Premier League since 2022 – the management’s focus has been on securing new streams of income and re‑energising the fan base. The Chinese football market, which is the fastest‑growing sports sector in the world, has become a “ticking time bomb” according to Milicic, who highlighted that the club’s current revenue streams are “not enough to sustain the competitive edge required to climb the table.”

Why China?

Milicic referenced a Reuters piece that detailed China’s projected 2025–2030 football growth, citing a 12 % annual increase in domestic match viewership and a 30 % rise in soccer‑related e‑commerce sales in the last three years. “The Chinese football association has rolled out an aggressive youth development programme,” he added, “and a generation of home‑grown talent will soon be ready for professional exposure. That’s an opportunity we can’t afford to miss.”

He also pointed to the club’s existing partnership with a Beijing‑based streaming giant, Tencent Sports, which was announced in a separate Reuters article in June. “Tencent’s platform gives us instant access to over 600 million potential fans,” Milicic said. “We can now sell season tickets, match‑day experiences, and branded content directly to that audience.”

Concrete Steps

Milicic outlined three concrete initiatives:

1. Establish a Joint Youth Academy in China – a partnership with Shanghai Port FC to develop a co‑owned academy that would provide pathways for both Chinese and European youth. The project, which was first teased in a press release last month, will see 50 trainees move to Dynamo’s training ground in Bulgaria for advanced coaching.

2. Expand Digital Presence on WeChat and Douyin – an in‑house Chinese‑language media team will produce weekly podcasts, match previews, and behind‑the‑scenes videos. The team will also run interactive fan polls and virtual meet‑and‑greets with players.

3. Secure a Chinese Sponsorship Deal – a deal with Ping An Insurance, worth an estimated €15 million annually, has been negotiated and is pending final approval from the club’s finance committee. Ping An’s sponsorship would include branding on all club kit, a naming rights deal for the home stadium, and a joint marketing campaign in China.

Milicic also highlighted the club’s current lack of a “China‑specific marketing strategy” and said that the board has approved a €5 million budget to hire a Chinese‑speaking commercial director.

Risk of Falling Behind

The coach warned that clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal, and Real Madrid have already monetised the Chinese market to a large extent. “Those clubs have turned China into a second home,” he said, citing a Reuters report that showed that United’s global merchandise sales grew by 18 % in 2024, largely due to Chinese consumers. “If we continue to ignore this, we will be left playing catch‑up in a market that could be worth more than the entire revenue of our current sponsorship deals combined.”

He also mentioned that the club’s current debt level is projected to climb to €100 million if a new sponsorship stream is not secured by the end of the year. “That’s a risk that will limit our ability to invest in the squad, academy, and infrastructure,” Milicic said.

Reactions

Club CEO Eva Lásková welcomed the plan, saying, “The board is fully committed to executing Milicic’s vision. The Chinese market is a key pillar of our long‑term growth strategy.”

Players were cautiously optimistic. “It’s exciting to think that we could have more opportunities overseas,” said striker Krispian O’Neill, who has already expressed interest in joining the academy’s training program in Shanghai.

However, there were also sceptics within the fan community. In a fan‑forum post quoted in the article, a long‑time supporter lamented, “We need to focus on winning at home, not chasing foreign markets.”

Looking Ahead

Milicic’s strategy is still in the planning phase. The club’s board will review the proposals in a meeting scheduled for the following week, and a formal announcement will follow. “We are at a crossroads,” he said. “The next 12 months will determine whether Dynamo becomes a global brand or remains a mid‑table club looking for a boost.”

The article linked to a Reuters piece on China’s new football policy (2023) and the club’s partnership with Tencent (June 2025), underscoring how the club’s future hinges on its ability to integrate into the rapidly expanding Chinese sports ecosystem.