What the recent contraction of a handful of clubs means for the future of the game in China.

President Xi announced in 2016 that he wanted his country to by 2050 host a World Cup and win it. As part of his plan to accelerate the growth of the game in China, the Chinese Super League increased spending dramatically for a period of time grabbing headlines around the world. Now, that period has passed and the initial investment hasn't paid off.

While the Chinese Super League has become more professional in recent seasons and has acquired more TV revenue from overseas TV deals, the domestic game has much to be achieved if it really wants to become a player on the world stage.

This past off-season was particularly hard for the domestic game. Across China's three professional leagues, a total of thirteen clubs have dissolved out of the 64 clubs entered the across the top three divisions in the season previous. This comes just as expansion was announced across the second and third divisions with the second division rising from 16 to 18 teams. Some notable names include Tianjin Tenhai (a team that at one point was in the AFC Champions League two years ago), Liaoning F.C. (one of the oldest clubs in China), & Sichuan Longfor F.C.

This however; isn't surprising. Chinese football clubs in the lower divisions have lacked relevancy in their local areas with small attendances and most clubs are owned by corporations who often invest a lot of money then leave after only a few years. Tianjin Tenhai is the best example of this with its former owners being Quanjian Group, a medical group that was accused of illegal multi-level marketing and false advertising. Clubs in China often lack sustainability even though the country is rich economically by Asian standards.

China is still a developing economy and no one sport has captured the country's imagination. Chinese clubs need to do a better job of creating an identity around their local communities, instead of identity focused around corporations.

Chinese football clubs and their local governments must invest in soccer specific stadiums in their respective downtown cores. Shanghai SIPG look to be well equipped for the future by moving to new Pudong Stadium next year. Sadly, the exact opposite has happened in some cases.

Shenzhen FC for example decided to move from the Shenzhen Stadium near downtown Shenzhen to the larger Shenzhen University Stadium located in the Longgang District of Shenzen, which is a drive from the urban core. Recently promoted Shijiazhuang Ever Bright FC are doing the same moving from the Yutong International Sports Center in downtown Shijiazhuang to newly built Hebei Olympic Sports Centre Stadium in the suburbs.

Shenzhen FC's recent move from Shenzhen Stadium in downtown Shenzhen to Shenzhen University Stadium in the suburbs of Shzenhen.

The long term viability of these moves has yet to be determined but moving to a bigger stadium in the suburbs when it has been proven in years past that your clubs can't fill a smaller one in a downtown core probably isn't the right move.

However; there is some hope that the game can revitalized with China hosting the 2023 AFC Asian Cup with eight new football specific stadiums set to be built across eight different cities. Meaning the clubs currently in these cities can move from public stadiums that are often too big to better infrastructure that can provide better entertainment value for the domestic game.

This however; is only part of the answer. Chinese clubs need to be rebranded. A good example is when Dalian Yifang recently rebranded to Dalian Pro over this past off season, taking the corporate name Dalian Yifang Group Co. Ltd. out of the team name. This is a smart move and other Chinese clubs should follow suit.

The domestic game has a long way to go in China, there are some positive steps that are being taken right now on the microlevel at certain clubs but the game needs to move beyond corporate backed clubs playing in municipal stadiums out in the suburbs if the game truly wants to be sustainable. This is the only way the game can truly move forward in China.