Suning Sports, the owner of Chinese Super League club Jiangsu Suning and majority owner of Inter Milan, opened its flagship retail store in Nanjing’s Olympic Sports Centre. The store sells merchandise from both clubs and "offers entertainment based experiences as well as retail." The new store covers more than 700 square meters over two floors and "is aimed at cultivating Nerazzurri fans as well as focusing on Jiangsu Suning supporters." Interim Inter Milan CEO Jun Liu called the store "a shining light in the industry which will bring the two clubs and their fans even closer together" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 11/28).
England cricket is set to revert to its "traditional cream Test-match kit for next summer" -- with the Three Lions restored to the center of an "old-fashioned cable knit sweater and the sponsor’s name nowhere in sight." The move will "delight purists who felt aggrieved" when the Test side adopted its "dazzling" all-white strip in '08, when adidas became the suppliers of England’s kit. But next year New Balance is set to replace adidas, which in '15 signed a £750M deal with ManU. The new cream kits "are set to be unveiled" during the first Test against South Africa at Lord’s on July 6. No sponsor's name will be visible, "returning the look of the Test sweater to a pre-commercial age" (London DAILY MAIL, 11/27).
Bundesliga club FC Cologne agreed to a cooperation with Chinese Super League side FC Liaoning. As part of the partnership, Cologne will travel to China next summer. The teams will play a friendly against each other in Shenyang. In addition, the clubs will work together in the areas of youth development and coaching (FC Cologne).
