ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the impact of the real estate and construction sectors on the development of the football industry in China. The relationship between the financial health of football clubs in China and Chinese stadium construction projects is examined. The chapter finds that a case-by-case analysis is required to understand the nature and impact of the relationship between the two sectors. It concludes with an argument that the investment flows in the football industry present a mixture of hard power and soft power strategies through economic acquisition and the transmission of the values and image of China as geostrategic tools for positioning on the world stage.
