| The Decline of Professional Football in Hong Kong |
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| Written by Cheung Chi-kit, Ken | |
| Saturday, 05 May 2007 | |
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Football is the most popular sport in the world. Attending weekend football games or watching football on TV is one of the most important leisure events for many people over the weekend. Victories and defeats of the beloved clubs or national teams mean a lot to many football fans. Just like the late Liverpool FC manager Bill Shankly put it, 'Football is not a matter of life and death. It is much more important than that.' Many Hong Kong people are crazy about it too. Every other summer, when the FIFA World Cup or the European Championship take place, undoubtedly the issue that Hong Kong people talk about most frequently is football.
Football is also a business. Zillions of dollars rolled in and out. According to the annual Wealth of Football Clubs report by Deloitte, the leading clubs in the world such as Real Madrid, Manchester United, AC Milan and Bayern Munich all had annual turnovers of several billions of dollars each. Sponsorship and television contracts of major football events such as the UEFA Champions League, the European Championship and the FIFA World Cup also involved gigantic profits. Some star players, such as Ronaldinho, David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Michael Ballack, earn astronomical figures through their lucrative salaries and sponsorship contracts.
However, this is not the case in Hong Kong. Domestic football in Hong Kong has suffered a sharp decline in the last decade. Attendance figures have fallen, and the professional league has been run in a very mediocre way. Investors have turned away from investing in or sponsoring the clubs. There have been no new football stars. Players have earned low incomes and have been doing other part-time jobs. Young talent has been sadly lacking. Stadium facilities have become out-dated and worn-out. The mass media have lacked interest in reporting domestic football. The government has offered very little support for the game. In Asia, the HK national team and clubs have often been outplayed by their counterparts.
Why has the game in HK declined so badly? Is there any cure for it?
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