I just scored 133 points in the UK’s Premiere League Fantasy Football (Soccer) competition. That lifted me from 20th place to 17th place (there are only 20 places – my British counterparts in our Suzhou group are relentless ). My place at the bottom of the roster has a lot in common with Chinese football’s own position, a lot of which has to do with collusion and corruption (not mine, theirs). Police are investigating three football officials after the arrest of 21 other officials, players and club managers during the past three month s. Allegations of match-fixing and gambling on football matches are rife. As proud of Chinese are of their international sports heroes, and despite how enthusiastic they are about football, they all despair at their domestic teams and international lineup.

Football in China is also one of the few international sports the government has not institutionalized to the same extent as gymnastics, archery, ping pong or a couple other sports. However, it could be argued that State-directed sports programs are just as tainted as the officials themselves. Indeed, it seems almost weekly the government is arresting one corrupt official or another.

Then again, if there’s hope for my Premiere League fantasy team, there’s hope got to be hope for China’s own fantasy.

More reading: FT