QINGDAO, China, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Jordi Vinyals, Barcelona's head of youth development and former coach of its B team, will take the rein of China's League One side Qingdao Huanghai, the club announced Monday.
Qingdao Huanghai signed a two-year contract with Vinyals on Monday. "We hope he and his four-member team will help the club to get a better performance next season," said Sun Di, spokesman of the club.
Vinyals and his assistants will go to Kunming, capital of southwestern China's Yunnan Province, this evening, to meet the football team and start the winter training, Sun Di said.
Coming from the first generation of Barcelona's La Masia youth system, Vinyals went on a 15-year expedition in La Liga and the Spanish second division.
Vinyals started his coaching career in 2000 and claimed the UEFA U-19 Champions League in 2014 with Barcelona's youth team.
FC Barcelona and Qingdao Huanghai's investor also signed a contract in October to open a football school in Qingdao.??