Opinion | Premier League clubs’ focus on China market means they’ll keep making missteps when it comes to morals
- Arsenal have distanced themselves from their player Mesut Ozil’s recent comments on China’s treatment on Muslims
- Premier League clubs are well aware of the revenue opportunities that China represents
Arsenal’s response to Mesut Ozil’s comments about China’s treatment of the Uygurs was condemned as much as the player’s views were by the Chinese authorities whose state television network didn’t broadcast Arsenal’s game against Manchester City.
China’s foreign ministry spokesman said: “He was misled by fake news. Xinjiang is enjoying political stability, a flourishing economy, ethnic unity, a social harmony. We welcome him to visit Xinjiang.”
Arsenal distanced themselves from Ozil’s comments because, like every other big European football club, the Chinese market is crucial to them. Arsenal may claim that they’re apolitical. But they’re not. They signed a £30 million sponsorship deal with the Rwandan government to promote tourism.
Their stance seems to say that money triumphs over the morality of one of their players who is entitled to his opinion.
China is the key market that all major clubs are focusing on. Manchester United, for instance, have made it a priority and feel that they have made significant strides into the world’s most populous nation. Only last week they announced a link-up with the Alibaba/Youku platform.
