Sunday, February 9, 2025

What happens to Chinese football?

Last update 15 October, 2013 by Julio Muñoz

In 2002, China was already an emerging power. The most populous country in the world with more than 1.000 million inhabitants began to make people talk at all levels. Economically, its economy rose like foam, freedom began little by little to gain ground in a closed society in itself and sportingly, with an eye on the Beijing Olympics 2008, the country achieved some unthinkable challenges long ago, as world records in swimming and athletics, take out NBA players or even qualify for the first time in history to a World Cup, those of Korea and Japan 2002.

With so many millions of inhabitants, there were many who predicted that in a short time China would also become a soccer giant. There were not a few entrepreneurs willing to pay money to bring stars, the televisions echoed the main European leagues and more and more children wanted to hit the ball with their feet and not with the table tennis or badminton racket.

However, eleven years later, none of that seems to have been confirmed. Quite the contrary. China still has only one qualification for a World Cup, that one from 2002 in which he was unable to score a goal and where he may have assisted because neither Korea nor Japan were in their qualifying phase, classified as hosts then. The Super League does not advance and spectators hardly come to the matches. The selection is stagnant and the quarry even worse. The causes, muchas, between them:

China no accedió ni a la segunda fase de clasificación para el Mundial de Brasil.
China did not even reach the second qualifying phase for the World Cup in Brazil.

– interest in football: don't be fooled. In China football does not occupy an important place. Ping-Pong, badminton, swimming are among the preferences. football follows, but little and mainly abroad. And neither, you have to be fooled. The Premier or the League are barely accepted by more than a small part of the population, as confirmed by low audiences. The level, local, Chinese top division games have been seen with less than 100 spectators.

– there is corruption, rigging and betting. Scandals surround Chinese football. There have been proven match-buying samples, match-fixing and corrupt managers who threaten the competition. Even the Government has had to intervene on occasions trying to prevent the waters from leaving the channel.

– poor facilities: facilities are scarce far from the big cities and playing football is not always easy. Good coaches are in the elite, but below things change. while up, José Antonio Camacho became one of the highest paid coaches on the planet (11,4 million dollars per season), below the base is not taken care of. Some foreign technicians arrive but the culture, language and endless barriers make it difficult for them to work in the right direction.

Camacho necesitaba un traductor para entenderse con sus jugadores.
Camacho needed a translator to understand himself with his players.

– Low tactical level: tactically, Chinese teams leave something to be desired. They are usually defensively organized, but when creating and opening lines they have a hard time. Once the players leave their positions they lose, and so it is difficult to achieve something in such a competitive world. This is partly to blame for the difficulty Chinese soccer players find in leaving their country and trying out in other leagues..

– low standard of living: China is making clear progress but still the majority of its population has to work hard and from childhood to survive. There is hardly any time to play, let alone football.. All this complicates the situation much more..

Last year China suffered its worst rout in history by 8-0 ante Brasil. Without a defined selector after Camacho's departure, it is time to define the course he wants. From your reading of the future, It will depend on where the most populous country in the world is going.

Julio Muñoz
Julio Muñoz
Journalist, specialist in international football and retro. I write in Colgadosporelfutbol.com and you can follow me at @ juliomv1982

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