4-09-Blowing the Whistle on Soccer Problems

Blowing the Whistle on Soccer Problems SHI GE (China Daily-Business Weekly 11/02/2004 page 18) An earthquake erupted last week in China’s professional soccer industry, sending shockwaves （冲击波）way beyond the sector. Seven of the 12 clubs in the Premier League （超级联赛）produced an ultimatum-like plan for "reforming the League" in a showdown（摊牌）with the China Football Association last Tuesday at the "Investors’ Conference." Officials from the football association, the governing body of the country’s professional and amateur（业余的） football industries, were adamant （坚硬的） facing the challenge and rejected the clubs’ main requests - setting up a corporate company to manage the Premier League and returning the rights of ownership, management, operation and supervision to the clubs. The conference concluded with the association promising "further reform of the management of the Premier League" and meeting some of the clubs’ requests. The clubs vowed to respect the association’s leadership. Many media called the event "an aborted（流产的） revolution." In my opinion, the soccer clubs’ request was actually a trial bid for power by capital owners. The incident reflected the tussle （格斗）between private owners and the government over ownership and management of this particular certain economic facet. Eleven years ago, China’s sports authorities introduced the professional soccer league system, turning the sport into an industry. More and more soccer clubs were snapped up（抢购）by private entrepreneurs. But the management and operation of the leagues remain under the leadership of the association, a semi-official organization. Yet, there has been little improvement to Chinese soccer’s standards, the national team failing again and again in international competitions. Worse, corrupt practices and scandals have been rampant in professional leagues, with clubs bribing referees for favorable decisions; players and coaches involving themselves in gambling; and teams reaching agreements in secret to maneuver match results. In the statements the league clubs delivered at last Tuesday’s meeting, the club owners blamed the association for "poor management," claiming that "poorly defined ownership right（所有权不清）is the final cause" of nearly all the problems that plague（使…得灾祸）China’s soccer industry. But I would ask: "Will the problems really be solved if the soccer industry becomes completely privatized?" Isn’t it a fact that secret agreements for corrupt matches and bribing referees have been conducted by the clubs themselves? The most essential conviction of believers in privatization is that the motive to maximize personal interest is the best tool to achieve economic efficiency. The motive, however, can also lead to dishonesty, swindling and even crime. The key lies in management laws and rules. In mature market economies, owners learn from the initial "jungle law" period of capitalism that honesty and lawful behavior are essential for normal, and successful, business operations. In current China, during its transition from a planned economy to a market economy, many people seem to be interested in the opportunities being brought about by privatization, but are ignorant of the laws and rules that the capitalist society uses to maintain market order. It is important for China to both adopt reasonable parts of capitalism and avoid the chaos that will arise if absolutely everything is copied. That calls for reform, rather than complete privatization. This understanding applies to all economic sectors, and the fledgling Chinese soccer industry as well. (Business Weekly 11/02/2004 page 18) Note 1.blowing the whistle: calling public or official attention to something that is usually problematic or wrong