InternationalCompetition
AccordingtotheFIFArankingsannouncedinApril2018,China’sNationalMen’sTeamisranked73rdintheworld,andChina’sNationalWomen’sTeamranked14thin2017.China’smen’steamfirstdebutedatthe2002FIFAWorldCup,butsubsequentlylostalltheirmatches–althoughthiswaslargelyconsideredChina’sgreatestaccomplishmentinthecountry’sfootballhistory.Inaddition,themen’steamhasalsowontheEAFFEastAsianCuptwice,in2005and2010.China’swomen’steamhasperformedbetterduringtheirappearancesintheWorldCup,makingittothequarterfinalsseveraltimes.Theyhavealsodonewellincontinentalandregionalcompetitions,suchasplacingthirdintheAFCWomen’sAsianCupin2018.
AlthoughitiswidelyacknowledgedthatChinaisnotyetafootballpowerhouse,theenthusiasmfromtheChinesepeopleaboutthesportandimprovingitsplayingstandardsismassivelyunderrated.Manylocalteamshavegarneredahugefollowing,andinternationalclub’steamshaveprovedevenmorepopular.TheWorldCup,EuroCup,andinternationalfriendlymatches,regardlessofthetimedifference,arealwayslive-streamedinbars,restaurants,andhomesasChinesefanscheerfortheirfavoriteplayers.Theinterestforthesportcanundoubtedlybefeltthroughoutthecountry,andintime,willalsobefeltthroughouttheworld.
ChineseSuperLeague
PartofgettingpeopleinterestedinthesportatanearlyagecanbeevidencedbyChina’sveryownChineseSuperLeague(CSL),launchedin2004,whichrebrandedthecountry’stop-tierdivision,andhascontinuedtogainpopularityandcredibilityamonglocalfans.ThecurrentseasonoftheCSLconsistsof16teamsplaying240games,withGuangzhouEvergrandeTaobaoasthecurrentchampionandoneofthemostsuccessfulclubsintheleague,withseventitles.AlthoughnotassuccessfulasGuangzhou,bothBeijingGuoanandShanghaiShenhuahavedevotedfansandmatchesbetweenthesetwoteamswhichalwaysfeaturepackedstadiumsandhighenergy.
MatchesoftheCSLoftenbringoutyoungfansadornedwiththeirfavoriteplayer’sjerseys,wavinggiantflags,andcheeringwiththecrowd.Thissortofenthusiasmfordomesticgamesisanimportantpartofinspiringandmotivatingchildrentobemoreinvolvedwiththesport,starttakingclasses,andoneday,playinfrontofthousandsofcheeringfans.
Althoughperhapsnotaspopularasotherleagues,theCSLhasanumberofaccoladeswhichhavesteadilyimprovedsince2004.IthasthehighestaverageattendanceinAsia,isbroadcastto96countriesacrosstheworld,andiscurrentlyrankedfirstintheAsianFootballConfederationofAsianleaguesbasedontheirperformancesinAsiancompetitionsoverafour-yearperiodandFIFArankingfornationalteams.Theleaguehasdoneincrediblywellsince2004,gaininganumberoffans,starforeignplayers,sponsors,andwidemediacoverage.
InvitingForeignTalents
OneofthewaysthatChinaisworkingtoimprovethefootballskillsofChineseplayersisbyinvitingforeigncoachesandstarforeignplayerstocomeplayintheCSL.Ofthecurrent16headcoachesoftheCSL,13areforeignnationals.OnesuchstarisManuelPellegrini,currentheadcoachofHebeiChinaFortune,whopreviouslymanagedteamsinEngland,Argentina,Chile,Ecuador,andSpain–havingcoachedbothRealMadridandVillarreal.
TheCSLalsohasanumberoffamousforeignplayers,suchasCarlosTevez,awell-knownArgentinenationalwhoplayedinEuropeforanumberofyears,joiningChineseclubShanghaiShenhuainDecember2016inadealwhichmadehimoneofthehighestpaidfootballersintheworld.Notonlyhasthisstrategyhelpedattractfanstocomeseetop-levelplayersplayfortheirlocalteam,butitalsoaimstohelpChineseplayersimprovetheirskillsbyplayingwiththosewhohavecompetitiveexperienceinmorechallengingleagues.Althoughthismightnotseemlikeawinningstrategy,theoldadageholdstrue,“Ifyouwanttobethebest,you’vegottoplaywiththebest.”
DavidRamírezValdés,acommentatoronsportstopicsfortheChineseGlobalTelevisionNetworkinSpanish(CGTN)said,“Chinaisontherightpath,promotingyoungtalentandgivingthenationalplayersmoreopportunitytoshineintheChineseSuperLeague.ThefactthatmoreandmoreforeignstarsarejoiningtheSuperLeaguehelpstodeveloptheChineseplayersandincreasetheaudienceofthosegames,includingthethousandsofkidswhowillguaranteethefutureoffootballinChina.”
LookingForward
NomatterwhereyougoinChina,nameslikeMessi,Ronaldo,andBeckhamareknownbyalmosteveryone.Manychildrenwearsoccerjerseys,andtherehavebeenanincreasingnumberofpublicfootballfieldsthroughoutthecountry.Chinaisworkingdiligentlytotransformtheenthusiasmforfootballintoactiveparticipation.In2015,theWallStreetJournalreportedthatChinaplanstoestablish20,000soccerschoolswithinfiveyearsand50,000withinadecade,6,000ofwhichwouldbesetupaspartofanewprogramtocultivatethesportinChinesecampuses.DoingsoisatargetedeffortbytheChineseMinistryofEducationinanattempttonotonlygarnerabiggerinterestinthesport,buthopefully,alsousherinafreshgenerationofskilledfootballplayers.“Adoptingmeasuresthatsuitlocalconditionsandgradualimprovementsarethetworequirementswe’veset,”saidWangDengfeng,chiefoftheministry’sdepartmentofphysical,health,andartseducation.
In2011,Xiannouncedthreepersonalfootballrelatedwishes:forChinatoqualifyforanotherWorldCup,tohosttheeventand,finally,oneday,towinit.AlthoughChinahascontinuedtoworktowardsthesegoals,thelastandonlytimeChinaqualifiedfortheWorldCupfinalswasin2002,butboththepresidentandthenationarecommittedtoimprovement.
Withcontinuedreform,addedinvestment,andnewinfrastructure,it’snotunrealistictothinkthatChinacouldqualifyfortheQatarWorldCupin2022,especiallyifFIFAweretoexpandthenumberofqualifyingteamsto48.Inregardstothesport,thiswouldbeconsideredahugestepforwardforChina’sfootballprogram.Valdéssays,“Chinaisdefinitelyoneofthefavoritesinthebidtoorganizethe2030FIFAWorldCup.Thiswouldgivethem,infrontoftheirfans,areasontobelievethatanewfootballpowerhasarrivedtotheinternationalstage.”COnNovember29,2015,MarcelloLippi,nowheadcoachofChina’snationalfootballteam,withenthusiasticfootballplayersinSanya,SouthChina’sHainanProvince.