Chris van Puyvelde agrees to three-year deal with China Football Association

Chris van Puyvelde has agreed to a three-year deal with China’s football federation, according to reports.

The Belgian football director had been expected to start work at Turkish club Fenerbahçe in January, overseeing its youth development program.

Club president Aziz Yıldırım announced that plan at a club meeting on August 2.

Yıldırım had praised Van Puyvelde’s experience in developing young players.

The China agreement leaves Van Puyvelde’s Fenerbahçe role uncertain before he was due to take it up.

That could force the club to change its plans for reorganizing its youth program.

The reports do not say what Fenerbahçe will do next.