TOKYO -- Chinese soccer buffs are seeing their government turn from fan to foe as authorities begin to frown on the lavish spending that accompanied Beijing's embrace of the sport just several years ago.
The top-tier professional soccer organization in the country -- Chinese Super League -- announced last December that it would introduce a 1.2 billion yuan ($179 million) limit on each team's spending for the 2019 season. Player bonuses will also be capped, and annual salaries for Chinese players will top out at 10 million yuan.
