Following Dennis Rodman’s trip to North Korea late last month, another sports superstar is making his way to Asia – this time it’s UK national treasure David Beckham, who is off to China.
Chinese football authorities have invited Beckham to promote their country’s game at home and abroad, and he is keen to take up the challenge, starting with several visits to China to watch matches and meet with different teams and league professionals.
It is still slightly unclear exactly what Beckham’s role will be in spreading the word about football in China. But already there are signs that news of the project has increased interest in the game in the region, in addition to spawning even more fans for brand Beckham itself.Not everyone is on board though. Nike, which exclusively sponsors the Chinese league, is upset at the prospect of Adidas ambassador Beckham strutting around photo ops in rival attire.
Nike, which exclusively sponsors the Chinese league, is upset at the prospect of Adidas ambassador Beckham strutting around photo ops in rival attire.
In a recent statement, Beckham told the media, “I’m excited by the prospect of promoting the world’s greatest game to Chinese sports fans as I’ve seen firsthand the growing interest in football there.”
This comes at a critical juncture in both Beckham’s career -and this new promotional junket may prove beneficial to both himself as well as Chinese football bodies. Beckham recently started playing for Paris Saint-Germain in France on a five-month contract after finishing his last season with the Los Angeles Galaxy, ending his contract a year early.
It has been speculated in the past that he was considering a move to Shanghai’s Shenhua team, but for now at least he will only be the international ambassador for China’s Super League. Long term, it’s unclear what path this former England captain will chose, but China remains a strong option for his final years of active play.
squeaky clean family man Beckham is the perfect counter to all the air of seedyness permeating China’s football clubs.
Meanwhile, football in China has been undergoing some growing pains of its own. Scandals involving match fixing, hooliganism, and low attendance numbers have left some fans feeling disappointed in the direction the game has been taking, and have seriously dented the reputation of the sport in the region. Squeaky clean family man Beckham is the perfect counter to all the air of seedyness permeating China’s football clubs. The loss of international stars like Didier Drogba has only added to the current malaise. See AGI’s article China’s International Football Aspirations Fall Flat for more on that story.
The question now is whether it is ‘too little, too late’ for Beckham and Chinese football, or whether this marks a transition period towards new growth and better management of the game. Past-tabloid shenanigans aside, if it’s a pretty face China is looking for to turn around their football fortunes, they can’t go wrong with Armani model Beckham.
By Tim Holm
