How Soccer Explains The World China Version

Interesting news out of England today. French National, Nicolas Anelka, one of the deadliest strikers in European Football over the last ten years, has signed a contract with Shanghai Shenhua FC.

The former Paris St. Germain, Arsenal and most recently Chelsea striker has agreed to a contract worth a reported $313,000 per week to play in the Chinese professional league.

This is roughly the equivalent of Pele, Beckenbauer, Chinaglia and other greats joining the NASL at the end of their careers in the 70s and more recently David Beckham joining the MLS team, LA Galaxy, five years ago. Anelka is on the back end of his career but still a viable player and the first such to join the Chinese league.

The title of this post refers to the excellent book by Franklin Foer, entitled How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization. I read this book some years ago and it is a fascinating study in how the global game has influenced and been influenced by global change.

China has thrust itself to the forefront of Sport since they were awarded the 08 Games, dominating medal counts at the Olympics, producing world class Tennis and Basketball players and more. But there is a glaring holeSoccer.

The Chinese National Team is still a minnow in the game, their players are not playing at world class clubs and their domestic league is, well, lacking.

Japan and S. Korea have built world class teams over the last twenty years and their players are playing in the best leagues in the world.

How can a country of 1.3 billion people produce 20 world class players?

Why not China?

Some will point to the irony that such a relationship-based society does not produce winners in team sports, only individual sports. This is true and is worth exploring more.

Lac! k of int erest? Thats cant be the answer as it is second in popularity to Basketball in terms of imported sport.

Whatever the reasons I know that the Chinese sporting authorities, as well as others, are embarrassed and unhappy that China cant make a mark in the game whereas Korea, Japan and tiny Ghana have.

It will be worth watching how Anelka does in China and to see what effect he has on the recently violence-plagued, match-fixing riddled Chinese league.

Will he raise the level of play in the league? Will others follow him to China for big money? Will it spark a move towards international legitimacy for the National Team?

In terms of how this piece of the Soccer universe explains the world I think it shows us a few things:

-The Game is no longer just a European/South American game, it is truly global and China wants in

-China views sporting prowess as an important point of national pride and will continue trying to make itself a world beater across games -

-This a part of Chinas new approach to soft power

-Soccer players like English teachers, business people, entrepreneurs and others see opportunity in China and are willing top go there to take a shot at it

Either way, we wish Monseuir Anelka the best of luck. I cant wait to hear the first Chinese inflected gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooaaalllllllllllllllllllllllll he elicits.

Note: In further news regarding the intersection of sports and geopolitics.

Russian billionaire playboy and owner of the New Jersey Nets NBS franchise has announced he wants to run against Vladimir Putin. Pass the popcorn please.