China Key To Building Arsenal's Online Base

China will be "the key" to Arsenal FC's campaign to become a global brand with the focus on building an online fan base, according to Alvin Sallay of the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. Arsenal has "ambitions of one day being up there with the best" and CEO Ivan Gazidis believes this goal "can be accomplished only by reaching out digitally" to fans from the region. Gazidis said, "A long-term commitment to the region is crucial because football is huge in Asia. The Premier League has a special place in Asia, as does Arsenal." He added, "The first phase of our long-term plan was to build a new stadium which was done in 2006. The second part is to drive our global presence. This will unfold over the next three to four years and it is going to be a dramatic part of our development" (SCMP, 6/17).