Cyrille de La Morinerie, edited by Alexis Rey-Millet 10:50 a.m., July 07, 2022, modified at 10:50 a.m., July 07, 2022

To prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Chinese national volleyball team could join the French championship at the start of the next season.

A project on which the French league has been working in secret for several months now and which would allow French volleyball to shine abroad.

China - Tours, China - Chaumont... These are the unusual volleyball posters that we could see from the start of the 2022 school year. With a view to the 2024 Olympic Games, the Chinese national volleyball team wishes to prepare its competition by integrating the French championship.

An iconoclastic project on which French volleyball has been working in the greatest secrecy for three and a half months now.

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Seduced by the results of the French team who became Olympic champions in Tokyo, China, the 17th nation in the world, wants to play in the A league to prepare for the Paris Olympics.

Obviously, the Chinese national team could not win the French championship, but the objective for them would be more to be able to rub shoulders with the best French teams.

A two-year contract with China?

The matches would be broadcast in China, a country that is more passionate about volleyball than football.

An opportunity that excites Yves Bouget, president of the French Volleyball League: "If it ever happened, the matches of the Chinese team in our championship would be broadcast live, so the sounding board is colossal. But it's above all a real recognition and that should give us the ability to develop and structure our volleyball," he explains.

The French National League hopes to land a two-year contract with China and get almost a million and a half euros per season.

Only thing to wait: the green light from the Ministry of Sports.

A decision that could be taken within a fortnight.