Sport politics

In April 2016, the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched the "football development plan in the medium and long term (2016-2050)." The Chinese Government's goal is clear: making the Asian country a worldwide football superpower. This article will show how the Chinese strategy is organized in its three stages, with commitments and goals to be reached at the end of each one of them. Including the President Xi Jinping "three World Cup dreams" audacious plans: to qualify for another FIFA World Cup edition, host a World Cup edition and, finally, win a World Cup by 2050 to thus consolidate the country's football power in the most popular sport on the planet. The article also intents to demonstrates how the Chinese state induces private investment in football and sports industry. Showing that the large Chinese conglomerates have beeing collaborated in a crucial manner so that the government achieves the objectives outlined in its plan. And while China is moving towards the development of the most popular sport on the planet, the article brings to the theoretical discussion issues such as soft power and sport's influence, especially football, in the identity and national pride. Brought to a conclusion that the Chinese state has taken advantage of the football popularity to exercise 'soft power', strengthening diplomatic ties and placing the country in the Asian and worldwide context, but also to reinforce their people sense of national identity. For this, the article resorts to the bibliographic review, comparative study, in addition to analyzing the football development plan.
KEYWORDS: development, football, China, national identity, soft power.

O PLANO DE DESENVOLVIMENTO DO FUTEBOL CHINÊS: SOFT POWER E IDENTIDADE NACIONAL
Em abril de 2016, a República Popular da China lançou o "Plano de desenvolvimento do futebol a médio e longo prazo (2016-2050)". A meta do Governo é clara: fazer do país uma superpotência do futebol mundial. Este artigo vai mostrar como se organiza esta estratégia. Em suas três etapas, com compromissos e metas a serem alcançados ao fim de cada uma delas. Que incluem os audaciosos planos dos "três sonhos da Copa do Mundo" do presidente Xi Jinping: voltar a disputar uma Copa do Mundo FIFA, sediar uma edição do torneio e, por fim, conquistar um Mundial, consolidando, assim, o país como uma potência global. O artigo pretende, também, demonstrar como o Estado chinês induz o investimento privado no futebol e na indústria desportiva. Mostrando que os grandes conglomerados chineses têm colaborado de forma primordial para que o Governo atinja os objetivos traçados em seu plano. E enquanto a China caminha na direção do desenvolvimento do futebol, o artigo traz à discussão teórica questões como 'soft power' e a influência do desporto, em especial do futebol, na identidade e no orgulho nacionais. Conclui que o Estado Chinês tem tirado proveito da popularidade do futebol para exercer o 'soft power', reforçando laços diplomáticos e inserindo o país no contexto asiático e mundial, bem como se aproveita para fortalecer a afirmação do senso de identidade nacional. Para isso, o artigo recorre à revisão bibliográfica, estudo comparado, além de analisar o plano de desenvolvimento para o futebol. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: desenvolvimento, futebol, China, soft power, identidade nacional.

Since the late 1990s, the grass-roots sporting workforce in England has been subjected to increasing policy intervention, primarily due to Government desire to use the private and voluntary sector to deliver a range of political objectives. English grass-roots football is arguably the most important site for this policy delivery given its huge popularity - providing the largest numbers of volunteers for any leisure pursuit in the UK [Sport England (2003)]. Despite this popularity, little is known about the grass-roots football workforce, made up of a large pool of volunteers, some governance staff and football development professionals - less still about the impact that such incipient policy interventions have had on their roles. This article draws on the data collected during separate PhD research undertaken by the authors to illustrate the impact that such policy interventions have had on the grass-roots workforce. Two recent strategies - The English Football Association's Charter Standard Scheme and The Equity Strategy - provide the focus. The data collected from interviews across a broad spectrum of grass-roots football personnel suggest a general uneasiness around the imposition of modernisation at this level.

Um den politischen Willen zur Erstellung eines Konzeptes für Sportgroßveranstaltungen in Deutschland sinnvoll umzusetzen, bedarf es der Berücksichtigung vieler Perspektiven und Interessenslagen. Welche Bedingungen stellen die internationalen Verbände, deren Wettbewerbe man veranstalten will? Welche Auswirkung hätte eine erfolgreiche Bewerbung auf die Förderung des nationalen Spitzensports? Was bedeutet schließlich eine Ausrichtung für die entsprechende Region, die Stadtentwicklung und Umwelt? Welche grundsätzliche Kritik gilt es zu bedenken bzw. welches Interesse haben Bevölkerung und Wirtschaft in diesem Kontext? Und schließlich, um den Kreis zu schließen, welche Möglichkeiten haben deutsche Interessensgruppen, die Rahmenbedingungen der internationalen Verbände so zu beeinflussen, dass „ihre“ Veranstaltungen den Bürgerinnen und Bürgern vor Ort eine langfristige Verbesserung ihres Lebensstandards ermöglichen – denn das ist schließlich das Ziel verantwortungsvoller Politik. Um diesen vielschichtigen Fragen Rechnung zu tragen, hat das Bundesinstitut für Sportwissenschaft einen zweibändigen Überblick zusammengestellt, für den die in Deutschland führenden Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler sowie einige Protagonisten aus Politik, Sport und Wirtschaft für Kurzbeiträge gewonnen wurden. Ziel war es, die Chancen und Risiken für die Ausrichtung entsprechender Veranstaltungen aus den Perspektiven der Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft, Politik und des Sports zu skizzieren. Der erste Band nimmt vor allem die emotionale Komponente sportlicher Großereignisse in den Blick. Im ersten Beitrag geht es um die Stimmungslage in Deutschland gefolgt von Texten zur Identitätsstiftung nach innen und außen. Als konkretes Beispiel wird dann die Rhein-Ruhr-Initiative für Olympische Spiele 2032 präsentiert. Mit einem Appell für die Sicht auf Sportveranstaltung als kulturelle (Re-)Präsentationen und einem Beitrag zum Sicherheitsdiskurs im Kontext großer Events wird auch deutliche Kritik laut. Abschließend melden sich prominente Stimmen des Spitzensports zu Wort, um die positive Bedeutung heimischer Wettbewerbe für die Protagonisten zu verdeutlichen.