Football fans would rather watch the English Premier League than China’s sub-standard fare
The hugely successful American actress, 36, will give us our much-longed-for feisty heroine for the 21st century royal family
CHINA has been heralded as the next global football superpower, a country that can win the World Cup in the next 22 years.
But the Land of the Dragon is currently experiencing serious problems — with jealousy between its homegrown footballers and the vastly overpaid millionaire mercenaries who have flocked to the Chinese Super League.
Sven Goran Eriksson manages Chinese top league team SIPG - but has failed to garner the attention senior officials had hoped
And this curious drama is being played out in front of half-empty stadiums.
Even the fans who do bother turning up would rather be watching the Premier League.
I travelled to the People’s Republic and discovered:
- Chinese players unhappy they earn up to FIFTEEN times less than foreign team-mates and are not treated equally
- A feeling among coaches and foreign players that Chinese footballers do not have the work ethic to become top players
- Ticket touts struggling to flog seats at a fraction of face value
- The standard of football on a par with League One — at best
- Sports bars jam-packed for Premier League matches
So it is no wonder rich Chinese businessmen are snapping up English clubs rather than ones back home
In Shanghai — China’s biggest city with a population of 24million — Sven-Goran Eriksson’s SIPG averaged just 29,779 fans, meaning their 56,842-seater stadium is 47 per cent EMPTY.
Not helped by a running track around the pitch and policed by stewards wearing military-style clobber, the atmosphere for their game against Beijing Guoan was largely non-existent.
Hulk is believed to be earning £320,000 a week plying his trade in China, but has been described as "lazy" by many pundits there
Brazilian superstar Hulk cost SIPG £46.2million and picks up a staggering £320,000-a-week — around 15 times more than his Chinese team-mates.
But some fans are seriously unimpressed.
Dublin-born school teacher Dave Hunter, who lives in the city and was at the match, summed it up best.
He told me: “I’ve been watching Hulk and he looks heavy, tired and unfit. He’s just walking around the pitch, not doing a lot.”
Yet even strolling about doing little was enough for the Samba star to score twice in a 2-2 draw.
The gulf in quality between the permitted five foreign imports and six Chinese players in each team was embarrassing.
One foreign player, who asked to remain anonymous, told me: “The Chinese players are lazy and have a poor work ethic.
“They want to be as famous and well paid as the big stars but don’t want to work.”
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The communist regime that has ruled this land since 1949 may not yet have produced the culture and qualities to allow top-class football to thrive.
As well as the allegations of laziness and jealousy, there is also a lack of team spirit at games — surely not helped by the segregation between the Chinese and foreign imports.
SIPG boss Eriksson and Brazil superstar Hulk, for example, have put Chinese noses out of joint by not staying with them at their team hotel.
The club requires all Chinese players and coaching staff to board at the Regal International East Asia Hotel in Shanghai ahead of home matches and away trips.
But I discovered on a visit to the hotel that £4m-a-year Eriksson, Hulk and their other three non-Asian imports were exempt from the rule.
Alex Teixeira is another who has moved to play in the Chinese League - yet has failed to be called up by Brazil after doing so
And an SIPG employee told me: “Sven and the foreigners prefer to stay in their luxury apartments.
“It upsets the Chinese players because they think, ‘Why is it one rule for them and one rule for us?’
“But Sven lets them get away with it. Already some players aren’t happy because they’re not earning anywhere near as much.”
Foreign players in China are treated like kings.
Each of them is guaranteed a chauffeur-driven car, put up in a plush space-age city centre apartment and have someone at their beck and call 24 hours a day.
Chinese football expert Lu Win said: “They only have to click their fingers and people will run around for them.
“If Hulk says he’d like to look at some Harley-Davidsons to buy, there will be a whole fleet of them outside his home in less than a couple of hours.”
Culturally, this is a country that can be a shock to visitors.
And ex-Chelsea man Ramires took the decision to move over to play in the Far East
On the streets you see and hear people clearing their throats from the pollution by spitting in the street.
English defender Jack Sealy, 29, who plays in the north of the country for Changchun Yatai, believes it can be difficult for the Wags of foreign stars.
He said: “It certainly can take some getting used to. I sense it can be boring for the wives and girlfriends. They sit around all day waiting for their husbands to come home and lead a lonely lifestyle. It can’t be much fun.”
One tout in Shanghai told me he was struggling to shift an £18 SIPG ticket for less than a tenner.
He said: “People in China love football but the game here isn’t good enough to really get people to the stadiums.”
But they certainly flock to the Camel Sports Bar in Shanghai to watch Prem stars in action.
For the Manchester derby the boozer was packed to the rafters.
And it was clear to see United are the biggest English club in China with the amount of red shirts on display.
United fan and China Reds member Youki Bao said: “Man U have conquered football hearts here. City are way behind.
“Chelsea, Arsenal and probably Liverpool are the other big English teams in China.”
And it is the Premier League’s pulling power that is inspiring so many billionaires out here to want to buy English clubs.
Chinese football expert Shao Jin said: “The Premier League is the most popular sport brand in China.
“Although the Super League is hoping to one day be as big, a lot of business people here see instant possibilities and success in buying English teams.
And former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has decided to take up a management position in China
“Over here so much work needs to be done to grow Chinese football but in England, it’s engrained in your culture.
“Chinese businessmen see England as a far safer and a faster financially rewarding investment.
“Also because of the popularity of the Premier League in China, there is a lot of prestige in owning an English club.”
It is true Chinese clubs have the financial muscle to buy any player on the planet.
But the simple truth is that A-listers like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will not consider playing here until they are past their sell by date.
Alex Teixeira, Ramires and Hulk are big names but none of them have played a single minute for Brazil since setting foot in China.
President Xi Jinping wants China to win the World Cup by 2038.
But for all the millions of pounds spent on youth development, on impressive complexes and on foreign coaches, I did not once see kids in parks kicking a ball about with jumpers for goalposts.
And until you see that, his ambition is surely a pipe dream.
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