China Will Curb ‘Irrational’ Soccer Spending, Government Says
- Chinese teams spending millions to lure top soccer talent
- Warning comes days after Tevez and Oscar move to Shanghai
Hulk arrives in Shanghai on June 29. Photographer: VCG via Getty Images
China’s unprecedented spending on foreign soccer talent faces curbs after the government issued a rebuke over the “irrational” sums lavished on top players from around the world.
The comments by China’s Sports General Administration come days after the unveiling of two of the highest profile arrivals to the country’s top division. Argentine Carlos Tevez, a 32-year-old forward reaching the end of his career, will become the world’s best-paid soccer player with a salary of 40 million euros ($42 million) a season, according to media reports. He joined Shanghai Shenhua shortly after another of the city’s teams paid London club Chelsea $75 million for its Brazilian reserve midfielder, Oscar.