Football is often seen as a form of geopolitical soft power. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf states certainly think that way. But China’s long march into football has been less successful and has been affected by wider challenges in the PRC’s economy. Guangzhou FC, once China’s leading professional football club and a symbol of the country’s aspirations in the sport, has been dropped from the national league after a drawn-out saga related to the collapse of property developer China Evergrande, which bought the team in 2010. The club — which won eight national league titles from 2011-2019, topped Asia’s Champions League twice and drew in names such as Brazil’s Robinho and Italian coach Marcello Lippi — failed to meet financial entry requirements. In a statement that referred to Guangzhou and two other ineligible clubs — the Cangzhou Mighty Lions and the Hunan Billows — the Chinese Football Association cited wage arrears and debt issues. Guangzhou’s ineligibility is t...