Chinese football is in nobody's court

Apart from fattening the pockets of many clubs and investors in the soccer business, the fast-paced economic development of China has also fueled investment fever. Now good European and South American players and coaches can earn much more money in China than in many other countries' - even if they fail to improve the team they serve.

The most infamous case is that of Jose Antonio Camacho, the famous Spanish coach, who was sacked as the coach of the national men's team after it lost to minnow Thailand 1-5. Despite firing Camacho, the CFA, according to the contract, has to pay him more than 50 million yuan ($8 million) as compensation and another 25 million yuan as tax allowance, according to media reports.

How much did Camacho earn in China? $3.5 million a year. What is his record as boss of the Chinese team? Seven wins, 11 losses and two ties. Does the result justify his earnings? The answer is obvious.

China has hired a number of foreign coaches in recent years, but the Chinese team has failed to make much improvement. Policymakers should rethink their strategy and shift their focus on more meaningful areas. For example, they should encourage more young people to play soccer, be on the constant lookout for young outstanding players, and build a quality national league that is free of corruption.

For years, the country's soccer league has been fraught with scandals, such as match-fixing and bribery. Some senior officials and players have even been tried and put behind bars for their illegal activities. Such a scandalous league is bound to drive away investors and players who are interested only in the cause of soccer, creating a void in the reserve pool for the national team.

Only when we extend genuine support to young players and build a clean and popular league, which attracts big foreign names, can we expect to build a formidable Chinese soccer team. Before that happens, it is reasonable to assume that the team will continue to let us down - even under the leadership of a legend like Cai.

The author is a senior writer with China Daily.

xinzhiming@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 01/24/2014 page9)