Chinese soccer on messy ground

But more than that, it is time the authorities thoroughly reviewed the country's inefficient soccer management regime and found ways to make it more accountable.

Moreover, this is not the first time the CFA will have to pay a high price for signing "unfavourable" contracts with foreign soccer coaches. Jan Olde Riekerink, of the Netherlands, who was fired as coach of the national youth team in November, will continue to receive his salary from the CFA until the end of 2016, when his contract was scheduled to end, according to media reports.

Who is responsible for such a fiasco?

The 25 million yuan the CFA will pay as tax on Camacho's compensation will come from taxpayers' money, and someone in the association must be held accountable for this. It is likely, however, that no official from the CFA or the State General Administration of Sports, which directly governs the association, will be punished for the waste of public money.

If the authorities allow things to remain the same, the CFA will continue to be embroiled in controversies and to waste more taxpayers' money. Unfortunately, even if the CFA management is reshuffled, there is no guarantee that similar fiascos will not happen because the association is too bureaucratic to function professionally.

To meet the public demand, the government as a whole has been improving its transparency and operational efficiency. So why should the CFA, as a de facto government agency, not do so?

The mixed identity of the CFA - as a semi-governmental as well as industrial body - however, has been preventing it from becoming more transparent and efficient.

In many countries, especially leading soccer powers, soccer associations function more like non-governmental organizations, supervising leagues and other tournaments at various levels. They are free of government intervention and, in return, do not use public funds. In contrast, the CFA is run on public funds and its ill-advised decisions could result in a waste of taxpayers' money.

No one seems to be sure when and how the CFA will undergo reforms. But the authorities could start the process by making it accountable to the people and prevent it from wasting more taxpayers' money.

The author is a writer with China Daily.

E-mail: xinzhiming@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 07/12/2013 page9)