China, the newest destination for top stars
Over the past week or so two Chinese Super League clubs have committed more than £100million in transfer fees and £180m in salaries to some of the most accomplished players in Europe.
Advertisement
What is most eye-catching is that Jackson Martinez, Ramires and Alex Teixeira, who was linked with Liverpool but has also made his way to China, are all in their prime.
So what is it about the Chinese Super League that has convinced players to move to the other side of the world to play football? Mind-boggling salaries of £250,000-£300,000 a week?
"You can’t take away the fact that money is the primary factor,’ admitted former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson, now in charge of Shanghai SIPG, following deals that saw Ramires move from Chelsea to Jiangsu Suning for £25million and Martinez swap Atletico Madrid for Guangzhou Evergrande for £31m.
Last season Eriksson led Shanghai SIPG, who are backed by the owners of the biggest port in China, to second place behind big sp
On Tuesday Thai club Muangthong United will make a 3,600-mile round trip to Shanghai to play Eriksson’s team in the Asian Champions League.
About 25,000 fanatical supporters will be inside Shanghai Stadium to watch a team boasting former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan.
Eriksson said: "The Champions League used to be dominated by teams from Japan, South Korea and Australia, but Guangzhou Evergrande (coached by Luiz Felipe Scolari) have won it in two of the past three seasons.’
Chinese football is making rapid progress, with clubs sponsored by the state, through investment companies or ambitious entrepreneurs making a play for some star names in European football.
Other Trending Stories
To date more than 160 Brazilian players, some obscure and some with Premier League experience, such as Paulinho and Robinho, have been granted visas to play in the Chinese Super League.
Jo, the former Manchester City and Everton striker who was part of Brazil’s 2014 World Cup squad, is expected to link up with Ramires and Teixeira at Jiangsu Suning in the next day or so.
Dan Petrescu, once of Chelsea and Sheffield Wednesday, became the club’s manager last July.
President Xi Jinping’s masterplan is to promote football across the country, to make it accessible for China’s estimated population of 1.35billion.
In October Manchester City rolled out the red carpet for Xi and two months later it was announced that China Media Capital had bought a 13 per cent stake in the club for £265m.
Football is on the TV all the time here, not just the Premier League or the Champions League, but all the European leagues,’ said Eriksson. ‘It is an emerging league, which is why they are attracting such big names. There will be more to follow.’
Former Chelsea striker Demba Ba spent last season alongside ex-Everton midfielder Tim Cahill at Shanghai Shenhua.
‘The football is improving all the time and they are very ambitious with the national team,’ said Eriksson.
China are currently 93rd in the FIFA rankings, one place below Botswana and one ahead of the Faroe Islands. There is room for improvement.
There are certain rules in place to promote growth, such as the stipulation that the goalkeeper must be Chinese and no more than three overseas players, plus one from other Asian countries, can be on the pitch at any one time. ‘It makes for some interesting substitutions,’ added Eriksson.
Now that the football is rolling, Xi intends to bid for and ultimately win the right to host a World Cup, to bring the great footballing nations such as Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Spain, Italy and England to the country.
"The biggest problem is the language because it is so difficult for Europeans to learn," said Eriksson. "In the big cities, such as Shanghai, it is easier because so many people speak English.
Advertisement
"Shanghai is a beautiful city, with theatres, shopping malls and restaurants that can rival anything in London."
In time, the plan is to muscle in on the marketing power of the Premier League.