China is seen as a great untapped market by Premier League clubs, but there are also hopes that the domestic game will get itself established. But although there is plenty of money around, it is often not well used and the result is muddle, confusion and often worse.
The arrival of two world class footballers, Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba, at Shanghai Shenhua was seen as a sign of better things to come. But all that resulted as far as Mr Anelka was concerned was what one Chinese newspaper described as ‘414 days of farce’.
China is seen as a great untapped market by Premier League clubs, but there are also hopes that the domestic game will get itself established. But although there is plenty of money around, it is often not well used and the result is muddle, confusion and often worse.
The arrival of two world class footballers, Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba, at Shanghai Shenhua was seen as a sign of better things to come. But all that resulted as far as Mr Anelka was concerned was what one Chinese newspaper described as ‘414 days of farce’.
The club’s owner, Zhu Jun, an online gaming tycoon, fell out with the rest of the board and threatened to leave amid reports of unpaid wages and a boycott of training by players. Not surprisingly, both Anelka and Drogba have now returned to European clubs.
The Economist commented, ‘The game’s combination of career bureaucrats and flamboyant but sometimes fickle rich investors is a recipe for continuing problems.’ Rowan Simons, a Brit who chairs an organisation that promotes grass-roots football in China, says he has not seen any improvement in the Chinese Football Association in the last three years.