Tag Archives: Chinese football

Shanghai Showdown: Cameron Wilson Talks Balls and Lockdowns

Long-time Shanghai resident and Chinese football expert Cameron Wilson is now on Day 23 of his lockdown on the Pudong side of the city. Given what’s happened there over the past few weeks, we felt it was important to get his views on both topics – the lockdown and the state of Chinese football. And, as a reader of China Sports Insider, here’s why YOU should care: although much of the world is likely disinterested about China’s current outbreak through a combination of COVID fatigue and/or the distraction of other news closer to home, how China handles this outbreak could define the global sports industry for years to come.

If China can walk this back from the cliff, with a short-term plan to keep the virus contained, a medium-term plan to get the elderly vaccinated and a longer-term plan to finally re-open its borders, there are enough green shoots of recovery to think that China’s sports industry could again become a major player. But if things in Shanghai keep going south, the border could remain closed indefinitely, continuing to cripple what’s left of China’s post-Olympics sports industry – and the ramifications in other sectors could be far, far larger. Full show below:

Continue reading Shanghai Showdown: Cameron Wilson Talks Balls and Lockdowns

Breaking down Chinese football’s latest brainwaves

Late on Wednesday night, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) released details of two new rules that the Chinese Super League (CSL) must follow. Both rules are significant and have immediate consequences, not just for Chinese football, but for the global transfer market. Let’s break down the what and the why of Chinese football’s latest brainwaves, before examining what consequences are likely. 

Continue reading Breaking down Chinese football’s latest brainwaves

Lippi cashes in on China’s Mission Impossible

It clearly takes a lot to tempt Italian coaching legend Marcello Lippi out of retirement for one last job, but fortunately for him there are some very deep pockets in China.

While Lippi will be officially announced as the new coach of China’s national soccer team on Friday, reports have revealed that he and his team – of whom former Everton star Li Tie will be a part – will collect 20 million euros annually over an initial two-year term.

Given China’s precarious state in the final round of AFC qualifying – bottom of Group A after four games – it’s less like a final throw of the dice than a refusal to accept that the die has already been cast.

In the video below, China Sports Insider’s Mark Dreyer discusses the Lippi hiring on CCTV News, with Yan Qiang, Tian Wei and Simon Pusey: Continue reading Lippi cashes in on China’s Mission Impossible

China set for underdog role in World Cup qualifying

10 games over the next 12 months will determine whether or not China can qualify for the FIFA World Cup for just the second time in history. 

Continue reading China set for underdog role in World Cup qualifying

Explained: What’s behind Chinese takeovers of football clubs

I spoke to Sky Sports reporter Johnny Phillips last week for a piece he did on the increasing amount of Chinese investment directed at English football clubs in recent weeks. Editors being as they are, only a few selected highlights appeared in the finished article, but we covered a lot of ground, so here is an uncut version (completed shortly before the Wolves deal – the latest of the Chinese takeovers – was announced), touching on why rumours spread so quickly, West Brom’s possible owner and his plans for world domination, Sven spouting nonsense and why Wolves fans are probably sleeping better than Villa ones at the moment.

Continue reading Explained: What’s behind Chinese takeovers of football clubs

Horrific injury overshadows CSL’s latest star arrivals

The CSL’s summer transfer window saw yet another record fee paid, as more international players arrived in China, but the league’s top scorer, Demba Ba, is looking at months on the sidelines after a bad leg break.

It is a measure of how much the pulling power of the Chinese Super League (CSL) has exploded over the past year that the summer transfer window, which closed last week, contained a handful of blockbuster deals, but was still considered quieter than expected.

Continue reading Horrific injury overshadows CSL’s latest star arrivals

New soccer tournaments could see China gain global dominance

China’s long-term soccer plan calls for the country to be a global force in the game by 2050, but if China’s latest football project comes off, it would arguably become a major footballing power long before that.  

The plan has been laid out by the Chinese government, backed, of course, by President Xi Jinping, but the latest moves have come from one of the country’s biggest companies – Wanda, whose boss just happens to be China’s richest man.

Continue reading New soccer tournaments could see China gain global dominance

10 sporting questions for the Year of the Monkey

After a breathless few weeks during which the entire sporting world has been talking about Chinese football (with yours truly quoted by AFP three timesFT twice, El Pais, Hicimos, Vice Sports and interviewed by CCTVBBC and Al Jazeera among others), let’s take a look at a few stories that could be cropping up over the next 12 months…

funky-monkey-soccer

Continue reading 10 sporting questions for the Year of the Monkey

China Sports Insider Ep. 6 – Soccer Reforms in China

This is a studio discussion I did alongside the always excellent Rowan Simons, who – literally – wrote the book on this, on CCTV last week after the new soccer reforms in China were announced.

For previous episodes of China Sports Insider, please click below:

China’s Unrealistic World Cup Dream

Chinese President Xi Jinping can do many things, but bringing a World Cup to China won’t be one of them.

We’ve covered Xi’s love of soccermanufactured or otherwise – several times here on China Sports Insider, but the subject is back in the news again after his recent comments on promoting the game in China. First thoughts are the moves being made do look like sensible, long-term overhauls, rather than the short-term, quick fixes that government officials have previously initiated solely to gain attention and/or promotion (see Beckham, David).

China's President Xi Jinping receives an Argentine soccer jersey with his name on it from Argentina's Vice President Amado Boudou in Buenos Aires Continue reading China’s Unrealistic World Cup Dream