'Chinese football needs home-grown star'
Posted Thursday, April 23, 2015 by Foxsports.com
Shanghai SIPG coach Sven-Goran Eriksson believes Chinese football needs a home-grown player to feature in big European team in order to establish the country on the world stage.
The well-travelled Swede added that football struggles to compete with table tennis and badminton in the country – two sports that are immensely popular among the youth in the world's most populous country.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has previously voiced his ambition for the country's football team, who at 82nd in the world is the sport's ultimate sleeping giant.
Eriksson believes it will take "some years" before Chinese football can really compete on the world stage, but was full of praise of the country's commitment to raising the standard of the game as well as development of players from a young age.
"The reason for that is that the grass-roots football is almost non-existent," Eriksson told AFP during an exclusive interview in Shanghai.
"That is a pity because young people -- boys, girls -- they play badminton, they play ping pong, they play basketball. Football... almost nothing."
Eriksson added that a country that has a long tradition of success at table tennis and badminton simply doesn't have the spaces to enjoy football, unlike most European countries.
"If you go to the parks it is always written in Chinese 'Don't walk on the grass'," he added.
"Hyde Park, Regent's Park. Saturdays, Sundays. What are people doing there? Playing football.
"That is grass-roots football and I think that most of the schools in places like Shanghai they don't have any space to play football.
"Badminton, ping pong and basketball you need very little space."
Like Yao Ming's exploits for the Houston Rockets in the NBA drew the attention of the masses to basketball, Eriksson feels the country needs an inspirational "big star" to make it at a major European team.
"China needs a Chinese player playing in Premier League, or La Liga or Bundesliga or somewhere, and who can do it with success," he said.
"That is the only way (for football) to be big in this country."
Eriksson is one of various household names in Europe that is currently plying his trade in China.
After an 18-month stint at Chinese Super League outfit Guangzhou R&F, the former England boss joined Shanghai in November last year.
Italian World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro is currently in charge of champions Guangzhou Evergrande, having replaced Marcello Lippi, Italy's World Cup-winning coach.
In the January transfer window, the CSL spent 122.2 million (statistics come from German company transfermarkt), double the amount of the previous year and only surpassed by the spending in the English Premier League.
As many as 47 foreign imports joined the various CSL sides, including Australia's Tim Cahill and a host of talented Brazilians.
"The standard of Chinese football is getting better and better," Eriksson continued.
"More and more money goes into football clubs. Rich people buying it. Government-owned companies buying football clubs and the money is more and more to buy foreign players and also, big competition to take the best Chinese players."The well-travelled Swede added that football struggles to compete with table tennis and badminton in the country – two sports that are immensely popular among the youth in the world's most populous country.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has previously voiced his ambition for the country's football team, who at 82nd in the world is the sport's ultimate sleeping giant.
Eriksson believes it will take "some years" before Chinese football can really compete on the world stage, but was full of praise of the country's commitment to raising the standard of the game as well as development of players from a young age.
"The reason for that is that the grass-roots football is almost non-existent," Eriksson told AFP during an exclusive interview in Shanghai.
"That is a pity because young people -- boys, girls -- they play badminton, they play ping pong, they play basketball. Football... almost nothing."
Eriksson added that a country that has a long tradition of success at table tennis and badminton simply doesn't have the spaces to enjoy football, unlike most European countries.
"If you go to the parks it is always written in Chinese 'Don't walk on the grass'," he added.
"Hyde Park, Regent's Park. Saturdays, Sundays. What are people doing there? Playing football.
"That is grass-roots football and I think that most of the schools in places like Shanghai they don't have any space to play football.
"Badminton, ping pong and basketball you need very little space."
Like Yao Ming's exploits for the Houston Rockets in the NBA drew the attention of the masses to basketball, Eriksson feels the country needs an inspirational "big star" to make it at a major European team.
"China needs a Chinese player playing in Premier League, or La Liga or Bundesliga or somewhere, and who can do it with success," he said.
"That is the only way (for football) to be big in this country."
Eriksson is one of various household names in Europe that is currently plying his trade in China.
After an 18-month stint at Chinese Super League outfit Guangzhou R&F, the former England boss joined Shanghai in November last year.
Italian World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro is currently in charge of champions Guangzhou Evergrande, having replaced Marcello Lippi, Italy's World Cup-winning coach.
In the January transfer window, the CSL spent 122.2 million (statistics come from German company transfermarkt), double the amount of the previous year and only surpassed by the spending in the English Premier League.
As many as 47 foreign imports joined the various CSL sides, including Australia's Tim Cahill and a host of talented Brazilians.
"The standard of Chinese football is getting better and better," Eriksson continued.
"More and more money goes into football clubs. Rich people buying it. Government-owned companies buying football clubs and the money is more and more to buy foreign players and also, big competition to take the best Chinese players."
- Tag:
- Shanghai SIPG
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