Top football official calls for patience as China struggles to keep up with Super League growth
Massive expansion over the last three years highlighted by record transfer fees and sky-rocketing wages leaves governing body playing catch up
Chinese Football Association vice president Zhang Jian says the country’s football authorities are fighting to keep pace with the rapid growth of the club game in China.
The Chinese Super League has undergone massive growth over the last three years, with transfer fees and wages sky-rocketing as the battle for domestic and regional supremacy has intensified among wealthy owners.
But while the local governing body has sought to keep the rampant spending under control, Fifa Council member Zhang believes his organisation has found it a challenge to stay ahead following major reforms within the Chinese Football Association (CFA) last year.
“We’re in the first stage of our professional football development and more and more money is coming into the market and that makes the league very competitive and a lot of people are watching the matches,” Zhang said.
“The Chinese professional league has only 20 years’ history so, compared with Europe, where they have played for more than a hundred years, we’re a very young league.
“But we’re developing very fast and the central government is now very focused on football. The football league is very hot, but our regulations and our administration must fit the league.