China’s desire to become an elite football nation is having an impact on and off the pitch. While the national football team still has no way to comfort their weary fans, the government has unveiled grand visions for the game’s development, exhibiting a desire for international prestige and a more consumption-based economy. Although observers say China Soccer League standards have improved, currently the men’s national team languishes 81st in FIFA’s rankings, below Zambia. In contrast to China’s success in many Olympic sports, where a top-down training model has yielded amazing results, football, as a team sport, is less suited to such a model. There is no quick fix.
Soccer in China: A World Apart
People are taking to soccer in China, but is it just a passing fad or a phenomena that’s here to stay?
China Roundup: Alibaba’s Soccer and Telecom Forays; and Metal Financing Crackdowns
The week that was: Alibaba’s soccer team stake and telecom plans; China wakes up to the risks in metal financing; China’s investments in food and agriculture businesses rise and KKR invests in Cofco’s meat production business. Metal Financing: the New ‘Shadow Banking’? While Beijing keeps a close eye on China’s shadow banking system, a new form […]
Far From the Goalpost
Football in China: big business or a tale of flawed finances?
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