“The big teams are bankrolled by huge companies who pour money into the game for political favour.”
–Cameron Wilson
At this point in time, no one can deny the rise of China as a possible global power in the future not only in terms of dominating the economy of the world but also in terms of political influence as well as, now, in football. The aims of the President, Xi Jinping, of turning China into a world football superpower allowed the Chinese clubs to spend over 208 million euros just in January. Jackson Martinez from Atletico Madrid was signed for 32 million euros, Ramires was signed for up to 20 million and further acquisitions of Oscar from Chelsea for 52 million euros put the Chinese Super League into the attention of the whole globe.
There are many like Cameron Wilson who criticise the excess money spent by the Chinese on footballers calling it ‘materialistic football’ as teams aim to outspend each other in a show of who spent the most money. They argue that changes in the economy and politics of the country would have harsh repercussions for the sport thus robbing it of its essence. On the other hand, they fail to acknowledge the positive aspects including the elite level of expertise entering China and the benefits that could have for the players and their training. The fact that in recognition of the long way they still have to go for developing the sport in their country, China is pouring money not only to import the knowledge but also to train and produce their own stars, worthy of playing in the big leagues. Ambition like that should not be suppressed.