The head of Spain’s La Liga said the cashed-up Chinese Super League (CSL) was not far from becoming one of the world’s top soccer competitions — but he hopes European superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are not headed there just yet.
Speaking in Singapore, La Liga president Javier Tebas also said that he welcomed China’s burgeoning interest in soccer, which includes investments in Spain’s Atletico Madrid and RCD Espanyol.
Atletico’s Colombian striker Jackson Martinez, signed for 42 million euros (US$47.43 million) by Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao, was one of the big signings in China’s lavish spree during the recent transfer window.
Photo: AP
However, Tebas said he hoped Barcelona’s Messi and Real Madrid’s Ronaldo were not about to join China’s growing band of expensive foreign imports.
“You will have to ask them that, but I certainly hope not,” Tebas said. “There are enough football stars to go around. Even though some improvement is needed at the moment, it [the CSL] is slowly raising its standard. And in a few years, if the standard is better, it can become among the top in the world. All of us will reap the benefits because it means we can all work together to increase standards.”
A pre-retirement stint would be more likely for Messi and Ronaldo if they were tempted by China, although reports have also linked some of soccer’s biggest names to CSL clubs.
Photo: EPA
Inspired by a push headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping to turn China into a soccer power, Chinese teams have invested heavily in foreign players, often for outlandish sums.
Chinese clubs smashed the Asian transfer record four times as they splashed US$366.8 million in the January to February transfer window, outstripping the English Premier League.
Chinese businesses have also invested in European soccer, with one state-backed company taking a US$400 million stake in England’s Manchester City.
A Chinese company also sponsors Portugal’s second division, and sparked concern over plans to impose a quota of players from China.
However, Tebas said China’s investments in La Liga were a “good opportunity” for Spanish clubs as they raised teams’ profile in the massive Chinese market.
Wanda Group, owned by Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin, has a 20 percent stake in Atletico, and a Chinese model carmaker is the majority owner of Espanyol.
“Because they have an interest in the league, we feel it is a good opportunity because this helps their investment,” Tebas said. “It also allows the teams to have an increased profile in China.”
Tebas also said La Liga’s ability to retain key players would depend on its spending power, although he was confident Spanish clubs would remain competitive in the transfer market.
“This is an issue of finance, whether the La Liga is still growing,” he said. “If we continue on that path, and have enough future resources, we will be able to keep our players.”
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