Latest News

Back to Latest News back

 

Empty Stadiums a sign of China’s fading football dream

Empty Stadiums a sign of China’s fading football dream
May 30, 2022

China’s relinquishing of its hosting rights for the 202s AFC Asian Cup is likely to result in new football stadiums built for the tournament standing empty.

Seen as part of a long term plan for the nation to host the FIFA World Cup in the 2030, a project driven by China’s President Xi Jinping, cities across the country have sunk massive amounts of money to build eight new stadiums and renovate two others for the now abandoned Asian Cup next year.

However, with China sticking to its rigid zero-Covid policy and its biggest city, Shanghai, only just now tentatively emerging from a lengthy lockdown, the Asian Cup now numbers among a number of events being cancelled or postponed in the world’s most populous nation.

Simon Chadwick, Director of the Centre for the Eurasian Sport Industry at Emlyon Business School, stated “the Asian Cup was simply the prelude to a men's World Cup bid.”

In addition, as Agence France-Presse reports, Chinese Super League is waiting to start the new season and when it does looks certain to take place at closed neutral venues because of Covid.

Nonetheless, China has turned to big-ticket infrastructure projects to drive its pandemic-stricken economy with new sporting venues was part of that plan.

Some, like the futuristic 60,000-seater Egret Stadium in the coastal city of Xiamen, are springing up in cities which do not have a top-tier football team to call the venue home.

Beijing-based sports consultant William Bi told Agence France-Presse “the ones in relatively smaller cities like Xiamen or in cities where there are (existing) stadiums like Xi'an... are more liable to be white elephants.

"As the economy is backsliding there is little chance for splashing money to build a club that deserves a giant stadium."

Developers have added facilities that will allow the new stadiums to double up as concert venues, but China's strict Covid restrictions have killed the live-entertainment industry along with the football.

Chadwick warned that China is already struggling to re-use other major sporting venues built in recent years, adding “when resources are scarce this is an incredibly wasteful and sub-optimal way of planning.”

About a dozen of the 18 teams supposed to be playing in the CSL this year are backed by real estate companies - but a cooling economy has left many developers scrambling to repay loans.

The local government took away a US$1.86 billion stadium construction project from floundering developer Evergrande, which owns former Asian champions Guangzhou FC, Chinese media group Caixin reported in March.

The Guangzhou Evergrande stadium was initially planned to have a capacity of 100,000 and a striking lotus flower-shaped design, although the end product will see the bold idea somewhat scaled back.

Chadwick noted "investment in football was politically expedient on the part of developers as it helped cultivate strong relationships with the state.

"What this recent turbulent period appears to have done ... is to cut the cord between football and property development, raising questions about the future of Chinese football."

Football-fan President Xi's dreams of turning the nation into a powerhouse of the sport capable of staging and even winning a men's World Cup have faded markedly over the last few years.

The country’s ambitions to be a global sporting hub have also been crushed, at least in the short term, by its hardline Covid strategy.

With the exception of this year's Winter Olympics, held in a virus-secure Beijing ‘bubble’ in February, China has cancelled or postponed almost all international sports events since Covid emerged in Wuhan in late 2019.

The Asian Games, due to be staged in September in Hangzhou, were postponed earlier this month. It is unclear when China will host an expanded football Club World Cup - it was supposed to be last year.

Bi went on to say "China's reputation as a reliable sporting event host has been damaged.”

With Agence France-Presse.

Image: Concept for the Xian International Football Centre. Credit: Negativ.

About the author

Nigel Benton

Co-founder/Publisher, Australasian Leisure Management

Nigel Benton is the co-founder and Publisher of Australasian Leisure Management, Australia and New Zealand’s only magazine for professionals in all areas of the leisure industry. Having established the magazine in 1997, shortly after his relocation to Australia, he has managed its readership rising to over 11,500 and its acceptance as the industry journal for professionals in aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues.

In 2020, he launched the new Asian Leisure Business website.

Among a range of published works and features, his comments on a Blog (blogspot) from 2007 to 2011, when this website went live in its current form, may be interesting to reflect back on.

Click here to connect with him via LinkedIn.

Read more from this author

Related Articles

16th May 2022 - Covid-hit China relinquishes hosting rights for 2023 AFC Asian Cup

6th May 2022 - OCA announces postponement of Hangzhou’s Asian Games

26th April 2022 - Squash Court design implements sustainable concept of Hangzhou Asian Games

4th April 2022 - Organisers advise of completion of all venues for 19th Asian Games Hangzhou

22nd March 2022 - China’s latest COVID outbreak forces closure of Shanghai Disneyland

29th November 2021 - Chinese Government takes control of half-complete Guangzhou Stadium project from struggling Evergrande Football

22nd October 2021 - Looming fall of Evergrande symbolises current plight of Chinese economy

15th September 2020 - New Shanghai football stadium ready for match action

23rd August 2020 - Plans unveiled for new football stadium in China’s ancient capital

1st May 2020 - China looks to FIFA World Cup hosting with new football stadia

3rd December 2019 - China looks to boost sport industry with potential new investment fund

27th March 2019 - White paper flags rise of Chinese Super League football

12th January 2018 - Shanghai Municipality to build eight new professional sports stadia by 2035

27th January 2017 - Populous designs training centre for Hebei China Fortune Football Club

8th December 2016 - Conference explores grassroots football development in China and India

25th July 2016 - China to build 60,000 football fields by 2020

16th March 2016 - Football attendances rise in China and India

24th August 2015 - adidas to support grassroots football development in China