PSG, Marseille give unique nod to Chinese New Year

A pair of French Ligue 1 football teams have helped ring in the Chinese New Year through homage to the Chinese language.

Florian Thauvin wears a jersey with his name in Chinese during the match between Marseille and Bordeaux, February 19, 2018. [Photo provided by Marseille to China Plus]

Jersey of Marseille player Dimitrie Payet written in Chinese characters. [Photo provided by Marseille to China Plus]

Both Paris St. Germain and Marseille played their weekend matches with the names of the players written in Chinese characters on the back of their respective jerseys.

Jersey of Marseille player Jordan Amavi written in Chinese characters. [Photo provided by Marseille to China Plus]

Jersey of Marseille player Luis Gustavo written in Chinese characters. [Photo provided by Marseille to China Plus]

A sentence in Chinese characters reading "Marseille will be together with you during this spring festival" has been flashed at the football club's home stadium, Stade Velodrome, February 19, 2018. [Photo provided by Marseille to China Plus]

A sentence in Chinese characters reading "Marseille will be together with you during this Spring Festival" has also been flashed at the Stade Velodrome.

Marseille recently launched an account on Chinese social media site Sina Weibo.

In a further nod to Chinese football fans, a match between Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille on March 18th has been moved forward to 1 p.m. local time to better serve the football market in Asia.