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'Numb' and 'humiliated': Why China's football dream lies in tatters

BBC
Summary
Nutrition label

69% Informative

China lost 7 -0 to Japan in September - their worst-ever defeat in a World Cup qualifier.

President Xi Jinping once said he wanted China to qualify for the World Cup , host it and win it.

But football, it seems, could not thrive in the grip of the Communist Party .

China 's failure in football has become a national embarrassment, says one -party state.

China 's women's national team has been a source of pride for years .

The men's Super League boasts the highest average attendance of any league in Asia .

More than 40 professional clubs have folded as state-backed companies pull out of the sport.

China 's most successful team ever, Guangzhou Evergrande , is now the poster-child for China 's real estate crisis.

China have failed to qualify for a single World Cup in the last 20 years .

The loss to Japan particularly stung after the defeat against Australia on Tuesday .

VR Score

79

Informative language

82

Neutral language

56

Article tone

semi-formal

Language

English

Language complexity

42

Offensive language

not offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

short-lived

External references

no external sources

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