Since Dong Fangzhuo left Manchester United, Chinese players have completely disappeared from the Premier League. Richard Scudamore, as the Chief Executive of the Premier League, believes that teams in the Premier League don't select players based on nationality or skin color. The reason why Chinese players now find it difficult to establish themselves in the Premier League can only be attributed to insufficient technical skills.
This morning, on the eve of the final of the Barclays Premier League Asia Trophy, players from West Ham United such as Jonathan Spector, Hull City manager Brown, and coaches and players from Tottenham Hotspur like Jermaine Jenas and Joseluca, came to Siod Park to participate in the closing ceremony of the "Football in Schools" program. The "Football in Schools" project is jointly organized by the Premier League and the British Council. Richard Scudamore, Chief Executive of the Premier League, attended this event and was interviewed by reporters after the meeting.
This summer, the Premier League has been very active in China. After Manchester United's visit to China, the Barclays Premier League Asia Trophy followed. As a very popular league in China, does the Premier League have any other promotion plans in China? Richard Scudamore stated, "Promoting the Premier League is a very large plan. China is a vast country, so we do not have a detailed promotion plan; we can only promote some activities first. In the future, we will carry out a more detailed development plan, bringing matches overseas, and hosting community activities like 'Football in Schools'."
Chinese players once enjoyed great popularity in the Premier League, with players such as Sun Jihai, Li Tie, and Zheng Zhi achieving success. However, since Dong Fangzhuo left Manchester United last year, Chinese players have disappeared from the Premier League. Regarding this phenomenon, Richard Scudamore commented, "We do not consider the nationality of players but highly value their technical skills. If a player’s ability meets our requirements, we warmly welcome them to play in the Premier League."
After Tiansheng obtained the broadcasting rights for the Premier League, the era of free Premier League broadcasts in mainland China ended. However, starting this year, the Premier League is broadcast free of charge in Guangdong Province, but only one match per round can be watched. In response, Richard stated that after the broadcasting institutions purchase the broadcasting rights, they handle it themselves, and we cannot interfere.
A reporter mentioned that the situation in China is different, as fans are not accustomed to paying fees. Would insisting on charging lead to a loss of fans? Richard Scudamore shrugged and said, "It will be the same in China," implying that China will eventually adapt to the paid era. He also indicated that he hopes "some exciting games will be broadcast for free in the UK, while others will continue to be charged. In the future, we will seek a balance between charging and free broadcasting in China."
In order to expand the influence of the Premier League, Richard Scudamore proposed the "Premier League 39th Round Plan" last year. However, when asked if this plan would continue, he denied it this time. "This event has received a lot of media attention. Two years ago, we had a plan, but stopping in the middle of the season to hold matches is impossible. In the next 3-5 years, we will improve this plan." This means that the 39th Round Plan will have to be temporarily shelved.