For many, China's influence in professional sports leagues was clear when Beijing punished the NBA in 2019 after an NBA executive tweeted about demonstrators in Hong Kong. But a couple years earlier, China began moving in on a different beloved enterprise: European soccer.
The Chinese government began a push for sporting dominance in 2014, and soccer is a key area where Xi Jinping, a soccer fan himself, wants to lead. Over the past few years, teams in the Chinese Super League have paid hefty transfer fees to bring overseas soccer stars to play in China. Major Chinese corporations and wealthy individuals have acquired stakes and signed sponsorship deals with some of Europe's leading soccer clubs.
This week, The Wire looks at China’s role in international soccer, zooming in on the players and clubs that companies have snagged along the way.
Buying Players
Total spent by Chinese Super League (CSL) teams on transfer fees for men’s soccer players.Source: FIFA Glo
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