Club World Cup bonanza will be big challenge for Chinese soccer

Reportedly, China is in line to host the first expanded FIFA Club World Cup in 2021, as it is the only country recommended by the FIFA Council to host the event, which is likely to be approved by the council members of the world's soccer governing body during their meeting in Shanghai on Wednesday and Thursday. China Daily writer Li Yang comments:

If the plan is approved and China becomes the host, it will be a good result for FIFA, but not necessarily Chinese soccer.

FIFA will get much more revenue from the upgraded tournament given the top club's global followings than it does from the two out-of-the-spotlight tournaments it organizes at present－the eight-team Club World Cup and the Federations Cup.

The Chinese government's strong support, which is evidenced in its publishing special documents to boost the rise of the country on the world soccer map, its strong mobilizing ability and rich experience in hosting large-scale sports event, as well as the huge potential of the Chinese soccer market are all favorable factors that put China at the top of FIFA's list of potential hosts for the tournament.

Since one club of the host country will automatically compete in the tournament, if China becomes the host, the news will naturally stimulate the rich Chinese clubs to increase their investment in the future two to three years.

China already has enough naturalized players to form a team (except a goalkeeper), most of whom play for Guangzhou Evergreen. They have helped the club become the national champion seven times in eight years. So the news that China may host the Club World Cup has raised concerns that more club owners will follow suit in a bid to improve their club's chances of playing in the prestigious moneymaking tournament.

Which actually goes against the policies of the newly elected board of the Chinese Football Association, as the new board puts more emphasis on youth training and hopes to end Chinese clubs' blind pursuit of quick success by buying foreign players.

China's hosting of the tournament will be a tough test for Chinese soccer as it will show to what extent it can steer clear of the old pitfalls for which it has paid a heavy price.