Softpower, Soccer, Supremacy

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the global softpower projection of «the Middle Kingdom»: an ancient Western imperial mantra («bread and circuses») has been replaced by a modern Eastern «imperial» mantra («rice and pitches»).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»!