Softpower, Soccer, Supremacy
Author | : J. A. Mangan |
Publisher | : Sport in East and Southeast Asian Societies |
Total Pages | : 396 |
Release | : 2020-04-09 |
ISBN-10 | : 1433168812 |
ISBN-13 | : 9781433168819 |
Rating | : 4/5 (12 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: Xi Jinping's "Soccer Revolution" is unique: the most extensive politicization and geo-politicization of the Global Game. His purpose is to extend the global softpower projection of "the Middle Kingdom": an ancient Western imperial mantra ("bread and circuses") has been replaced by a modern Eastern "imperial" mantra ("rice and pitches"). The Asian Football Federation shares this "allopathic" vision of East Asian soccer: the future is Asia and it starts in China! Soccer is a talisman for a New Asia in a New Era. For China soccer is a hubristic instrument of softpower projection. Softpower, Soccer, Supremacy: The Chinese Dream makes this point forcefully. In East Asia soccer in now "much more than a game"!