Tag Archives: CSL

Football

Beckham visit causes stampede in Shanghai, 7 injured [UPDATED, NEW PHOTOS]

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This is exactly what the organizers would have wanted to avoid. Beckham’s first trip to China in March sparked the usual scenes of craziness seen whenever a global celebrity appears in Asia, but everything during Trip 1 seemed to go off without a hitch.

Trip 2 has seen significantly lower media interest so far, but a visit to Tongji University in Shanghai on Thursday saw seven people end up in hospital after students waiting for Beckham to appear broke through the door of the university gymnasium and rushed past a wall of security guards and police.

Policewoman carried away Continue reading Beckham visit causes stampede in Shanghai, 7 injured [UPDATED, NEW PHOTOS] →

Football

Maradona wins China court battle – but will he get paid?

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Diego Armando Maradona, the scourge of English soccer fans and the Italian taxman, has just achieved perhaps one of the greatest accomplishments of his storied career: winning a case in a Chinese court. Continue reading Maradona wins China court battle – but will he get paid? →

Football

Beckham in China, Take Two

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Now that Sir David Beckham, the God of Branding, has officially hung up his boots, he can concentrate on the Big Problems, like world peace and buying MLS franchises. Becks returns to China next week for the second of three trips this year, as part of his ambassadorial contract with the Chinese Super League. If the first trip was all about the kids, then the second one is all about charity (but like these two, David doesn’t like to brag). Here are the details:

Continue reading Beckham in China, Take Two →

Football

Sven’s career tailspin set to crash land in China

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It struck me recently that the biggest obstacles 14-year-old Chinese golf sensation Guan Tianlang still has to face are nothing to do with sport: girls and money. Either or both could send him off the rails, or make him lose interest in golf altogether.

There are plenty of sports figures who have succumbed to both the ladies and the greenback. Soccer has a few examples, not least Sven-Goran Eriksson, the former England manager, who is now set to [UPDATE: has now] become coach of Guangzhou R&F in the Chinese Super League.

Sven before and after
Sven-Goran Eriksson: before and after he became irresistible

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American Football, Athletics, Badminton, Baseball, Football, Olympics, Tennis

Weekly Wrap: Optimistic Americans, Struggling Print Journos and Manny’s Dreadlocks

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Tennis, baseball, both forms of football, badminton, athletics and mahjong all feature in this week’s wrap…

Continue reading Weekly Wrap: Optimistic Americans, Struggling Print Journos and Manny’s Dreadlocks →

Football

Money makes the world go round – but is ruining sports

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Since I submitted this week Sports Talk column yesterday evening, I’ve seen a fair amount of talk on the same issue of money ruining sports: the Guardian’s Jonathan Wilson arguing that Bayern’s UEFA Champions League win kills the dreams of many teams, and Tom Byer lamenting Bayern buying up Dortmund’s players, while Barcelona – another club that supposedly prides itself on its youth development – spends countless millions on Neymar, recently named the world’s Most Marketable athlete.

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Neymar: no longer promoting Chinese carmaker Chery after playing his last match for Santos

Here in China, Guangzhou’s – or more specific Evergrande’s – millions are fast making the CSL an annual foregone conclusion. Continue reading Money makes the world go round – but is ruining sports →

Football

China may lose out as Beckham weighs up retirement options

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David Beckham always says all the right things to all the right people, but if he is to fulfill all his promises and obligations, he may need to start cloning himself. With soccer-related commitments in at least the UK, the US, France and China (and possibly others in Qatar in elsewhere), plus countless sponsorship obligations around the world, Beckham’s retirement will be anything but relaxed.

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Beckham’s tearful farewell to PSG fans

Continue reading China may lose out as Beckham weighs up retirement options →

Football

Brazilian soccer star takes bite of the Chery

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Pete Davis has written recently at Goal.com about how well Brazilians are doing in the Chinese Super League (representing 29% of all foreign players). In this week’s Sports Talk column, I look at how well the Chinese are doing in Brazil:

ImageWhat do Lionel Messi and Neymar have in common? The obvious answer is that they are both among the very best young soccer players in the world, but, off the field, there is now another connection: they have both been sponsored by Chinese automaker Chery.

Continue reading Brazilian soccer star takes bite of the Chery →

Football

ANSWERED: Five questions about The David Beckham Press Conference

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The David Beckham Press Conference (TM) was shown live on CCTV-5, the Chinese national broadcaster’s sports channel, at 2.30pm Beijing time today (and included a couple of searching questions from yours truly!). Here are five things I’d wanted to know, along with the answers:

1. What was the most inane question asked at the press conference?

Answer: Inanity Prize shared between Kid on Stage (How old is your daughter? A: 21 months) and Sky News (How are your chopsticks skills? A: They’re great.)Becks on stage

Continue reading ANSWERED: Five questions about The David Beckham Press Conference →