Growing interest from Chinese companies in global football could take another dimension in the coming years as Alibaba Group Holding, the Chinese online retail giant, is reportedly in talks to become a top-level sponsor of Fifa. Bloomberg reported on such discussions based on “people familiar with the matter,” adding that any agreement had yet to be finalized. Chinese investors have made a slew of investments in football clubs and other interests in recent years, and one of them has described the scandals that engulfed Fifa last year as an opening for Chinese companies. Top-level sponsors are Adidas, Coca-Cola, Gazprom, Hyundai Motor, Visa – and Dalian Wanda Group, the largest Chinese commercial property group, which partnered with Fifa in March for the next four World Cups, until 2030. There are two open slots for top sponsors after Sony and Emirates Airline let their contracts expire in 2014. Alibaba created a separate company dedicated to the sports business in September, Alibaba Sports Group. Another Alibaba entity has an eight-year sponsorship agreement with Fifa for the Fifa Club World Cup. Chinese interest has been reinforced by the country's president, Xi Jinping, who has often described himself as a football enthusiast and stated that he wanted the football World Cup to be held in China.

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