The upcoming soccer 2006 World Cup craze is sweeping around the globe and at the same time China has also been figured in the spotlight of many of Europe's leading soccer writers.

However, unlike qualifiers preparing for the World Cup finals and the Chinese national team leaving today for friendly games with Switzerland and France, the big news in China is about one soccer club's efforts to attract the world famous French midfielder Zinedine Zidane.

According to Chongqing Evening, Changchun Yatai Club, newly promoted to the China Super League (CSL) and ranked only behind Shandong Luneng midway through this season, have been making efforts to tempt Zidane.

Only a couple days after the news hit the domestic media headlines, Reuters also covered the story at the weekend, saying another club, Beijing Guo'an, had become embroiled in the cut-throat competition to secure the services of the Frenchman.

The 33-year-old France and Real Madrid player announced last month he would be hanging up his boots after the World Cup finals which start in Germany on June 9.

Interviewed by local newspapers, Liu Yuming, director of the Changchun Yatai, didn't close the club's interest in persuading Zidane to extend his career in China. "It's neither a fake story nor self publicity. Actually we are in touch with Zidane through agents and the crux of the matter at present is salary," Liu said. "At his level it doesn't matter and playing in CSL at the age of 40 wouldn't be difficult for him."

Two days after Reuters reported that "Zidane did not immediately reject the approach" the Frenchman whose ball skills have earned him the nickname "Genius" finally showed up on May 30.

I will play soccer in China but that is for the fans instead of a particular club, announced the footballer. 

Zidane chose to retire while still on a one-year contract with Real Madrid (contract value US$7.7 million) and therefore it's obviously not money which motivates him. Besides he's already rejected an invitation from the Yokohama F. Marinos club of Japan with a payment of US$12.8 million for six months, commented a journalist of French newspaper L'Equipe out in Spain, adding that no Chinese club had contacted Zidane.

Another protagonist involved in the story, Beijing Guo'an, also refuted the rumor of Beijing trying to lure Zidane.

"Even if Yatai and we both want him they cannot say we are competing because Guo'an has an agreement with Madrid on soccer exchanges and cooperation," said an official of Beijing Guo'an.

The CSL boasts 15 clubs, 469 domestic and 35 foreign players. With television audiences and spectator numbers falling, plagued by scandals such as match fixing, the bribing of referees and betting on match results, the CSL is said to be much inferior to the second division league, or Jia A, by fans and even Chinese international player Sun Jihai.

It's appropriate to reconstruct China's soccer scene which has been professional for 13 years and the country stands at 68 in FIFA world rankings. But dreams of improving cannot be delivered only by introducing one international superstar like Zidane.

(China.org.cn by Li Xiao, June 1, 2006)