The recent downturn in the stock market and the government restrictions on money capital transfers might hit transfers in China´s football leagues, says financial analyst Victor Shih to Associated Press. “It is a general problem for wealthy people in China who are major shareholders in companies,”Read More →
For long football lover Rowans Simons, author of Bamboo Goalposts: One Man’s Quest to Teach the People’s Republic of China to Love Football dismissed the many plans to reform football in China. But even he got convinced by the latest roadmap to reform, he tells Channel News Asia.Read More →
After decades of failed reforms, China´s soccer sees now the largest push for change ever, triggered by soccer fan Xi Jinping. Soccer expert Rowan has some hope it might work, he tells Associated Press.Read More →
Chinese love soccer and the ongoing World Cup is just showing that, even though China is not even playing. Unfortunately, soccer expert Rowan Simons tells CNN, the country lacks to fundamentals to become a soccer nation in the future.Read More →
Alibaba´s Jack Ma was only the latest of a string of Chinese millionaires investing into football in their country. Football is a game changer, only in the early phase of commercializatin, say WSJ´s wealth editor Wei Gu and Roy Lu of Starline Inc., a Sino-U.S. sports entertainment agency.Read More →
Alibaba´s purchase of Guangdong´s Evergrande has put football again on the agenda. Football expert Rowan Simons tells the Economist China´s football needs to spend more on its youth in stead of buying foreign players and coaches. Evergrande did so already.Read More →
China is paying a high price for replacing sacked national football coach Jose Antonio Camach, but no money in the world can help Chinese football, even if they can get Marcello Lippi, tells soccer expert Rowan Simons to AFP.Read More →
British soccer legend David Beckham has started as an ambassador for scandal riddled Chinese football, but that will not be enough, tells soccer expert Rowan Simons in the South China Morning Post. “Not enough to wipe the ingrained cynicism in fans.”Read More →
Soccer clubs hire international players who earn several times the annual income of China’s soccer clubs. Rowan Simons tries to explain what is driving the latest developments at one of the country’s most popular sports in NPR.Read More →
Nicholas Anelka, Nigerian Ayegbeni Yakubu and Didier Drogba are a few of the big names picked up by China’s soccer clubs. But it does not mean all is well, says soccer analyst Rowan Simons to AFP, who believe the sport need thorough reforms rather than big names.Read More →
The influx of well-paid international soccer stars into Chinese club might not be the best way to support grassroots soccer, tells author Rowan Simons in SportsDay, but it is better to pay high-flyers like Nicolas Anelka in stead of bribes, as was common practices.Read More →
The transfer of Chelsea soccer star Nicolas Anelka to Shanghai’s Shenhua could become a turning point in China’s troubled soccer league, says soccer specialist Rowan Simons, in The Sun. “His move will open the floodgates.”Read More →