China still working on producing top players

Despite the dramatic increase in Chinese investment in European football, and the huge interest in the game back home, few Chinese players have made their mark on the game here.

There have been a couple of exceptions - Sun Jihai made 130 appearances for English Premier League club Manchester City after spending a season on loan at Crystal Palace, where he also played with compatriot Fan Zhiyi.

Both made their mark in various ways. Sun signed for Man City in 2002, becoming the club's first Asian player, and stayed until 2007, when he moved to Sheffield United, which was in the second-tier Championship at the time. He had mixed fortunes in Yorkshire and was eventually loaned to the club's Chinese affiliate, Chengdu Blades.

Sun reappeared in Britain briefly in October when, watched by President Xi Jinping, he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in Manchester.

Fan, meanwhile, became something of a hero at Crystal Palace. He joined in 1998, becoming the first Chinese player to turn out for an English league team, and went on to captain the club. He was named the 2001 Asian Player of the Year.

In October 2001, he transferred to Scottish Premier League side Dundee, and played briefly for Shanghai International before joining Cardiff City for a year and then moving back to Asia. He is now a coach at Chinese Super League team Shanghai SIPG alongside former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

For the record, no Chinese at present plays in the English Football League, although the internet was awash with rumors in the autumn that Zhang Linpeng, the talented Guangzhou Evergrande defender, was a transfer target for Chelsea. That came to nothing.

Analysts believe several factors work against Chinese players coming to Britain: First, securing a working visa is difficult; and second, English Premier League games are played at a faster pace than in most other countries and can be much more physical.

There is a cultural aspect that puts many Asian players off, too, while money also plays a part.

Chinese Super League clubs pay good salaries, so it's hard to tempt homegrown players out of their comfort zone.

According to the National newspaper in Abu Dhabi, there are only three Chinese playing in European leagues: Wei Shihao at Boavista in Portugal, Wang Shangyuan at Club Brugge in Belgium, and Wang Chu at Luxembourg side Jeunesse Esch.

Simon Chadwick, a professor of sports enterprise at Salford University Business School, says there is a straightforward reason for the lack of Chinese players in Britain.

"At the moment, Chinese players in general are not yet good enough to succeed in the Premier League," he says. "This is one of the reasons for China's football development program: The country wants its players to be able to successfully compete with the top players and teams worldwide."

English Premier League clubs often form alliances with teams in developing markets, providing them with players and the opportunity to loan out their own young talent to gain experience abroad.

Many of the deals being struck by Chinese investors in Europe contain a provision for the establishment of an academy in China, and although there are no data, it is becoming part of the push to grow the sport in China.

"A growing number of European clubs, as well as former European players, are setting up academies in China," Chadwick says, adding: "Many in Europe perceive an opportunity both to contribute to China's football development and to generate revenue from it."

chris@mail.chinadailyuk.com

(China Daily European Weekly 08/12/2016 page7)