11 Apr 2016
China lays out ambitious infrastructure plans in bid to become a 'football superpower'
BY Matthew Campelli
China is planning to build 20,000 football training centres and 70,000 pitches by 2020 in its quest to become a “world football superpower”.
The Chinese Football Association published its bold plan, which includes getting 50m children and adults playing football in the next four years and ensuring there is one football pitch for every 10,000 people by 2030. China has a population of 1.4bn people.
The ultimate ambition is for the men’s football team to become one of the best in Asia and the women’s team to be ranked as “world-class” by 2030. By 2050, the association expects China to be a “first-class superpower” that “contributes to the international football world”.
The Chinese have made no attempts to disguise their ambition to create a thriving football nation in recent times. Current president Xi Jinping is a fan of the sport and has outlined his desire to see China host and win the World Cup in the future.
Last month giant Chinese conglomerate Wanda has become a top-line commercial partner of FIFA, while Chinese media, entertainment and sports firm China Media Capital (CMC) and private equity company CITIC Capital took a stake in Manchester City FC’s parent company in December.
The increase in football infrastructure in China has resulted in business for UK companies. In January, AFL Architects director Phil Osborne told Sports Management about his company’s project designing an education-focused football training centre in Shanghai, south China.
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