Spanish BBV Primera Liga club Espanyol announced on Wednesday that it had reached an agreement to sign a four-year sponsorship deal with the Chinese Li Ning Company Limited.

The two will sign the agreement in a ceremony on Friday, Feb 26.

The agreement will make Espanyol the first European football club to sign with the Chinese sportswear producing giant.

The Li Ning company, one of the leading sports brand enterprises in China, has already signed many famous athletes, such as NBA stars Shaquille O' Neal, Berni Rodriguez and Baron Davis, tennis ace Ivan Ljubicic and world record holding pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva. The Chinese company also provided the sportswear for the Spanish Olympic squad at the Beijing Olympic Games and currently dresses the Spanish National Basketball team, which won last year's European Championships and the silver medal in the 2008 Olympics.

The official communique announcing the accord states that Espanyol's history and values have been vital in Li Ning's decision.