Cotton does not cheat: Nike's monopoly on the Chinese Superliga more in question than ever ·Global Voices

En la televisión española de la década de los ochenta y noventa, uno de los anuncios más célebres era el del limpiador Tenn. En el mismo, tras pasearse por toda la casa con un algodón en la mano para comprobar la eficacia del trabajo de los trabajadores de la limpieza, el mayordomo protagonista exclamaba que "el algodón no engaña". Ese es ahora mismo el sentimiento de una gran parte sociedad china respecto a la firma estadounidense Nike, quien junto a otras multinacionales de la moda como H&M, Adidas o New Balance, han levantado la ira local por su negativa a utilizar en sus productos algodón de la región de Xinjiang.

A decision based on the report of the Australian school of study Aspi Institute, who claims that forced labour is used by hundreds of thousands of Uighurs and other minorities to harvest it. Something Beijing categorically denies and reveals that the reality of the cotton harvest in the region is automated. A conflict that touches the world of football, as Nike is the exclusive supplier of the equipment of all the clubs of the Chinese Superliga.

Todo el ruido sobre el algodón de Xinjiang nació este pasado miércoles, después de que una cuenta en las redes sociales de la Liga de las Juventudes Comunistas rescatara un comunicado de H&M notificando la suspensión del uso de algodón de Xinjiang por el supuesto uso de trabajo forzoso en el sector. Y un texto que acompañaba a la noticia: "¿Quieres ganar dinero en China al tiempo que difundes rumores para boicotear el algodón de Xinjiang? Ya te gustaría!".

Since then, there has been a rapid chain reaction that has also ended up knocking on the doors of Chinese football, due to Nike's monopoly on it in the top category of his football and national team. These agreements are now being called into question by the Oregon firm's position on cotton in the north-western region of China.

Why Nike and not Li Ning?

Although it may be conspicuous by the presence of local giants in the sector such as Anta or Li Ning, it is Nike who leads the lead in Chinese football. Nike's first stone was in 2009, when he signed a sponsorship contract with the Chinese Football Federation for ten years in exchange for a figure of around 180 million euros.

As a result, as early as 2011, all the T-shirts of the sixteen teams of the Chinese Superliga came with the stamp of the American firm. After having a monopoly at club level, four years later he closed the circle by disbursing 130 million euros to become a sponsor of the selection. In the absence of a year to expire the original agreement, in 2018 Nike and the Chinese Superliga extended their ties for one more decade until 2029, doubling the amounts set a decade earlier.

An agreement initially valued positively but more recently has encountered a lot of opposition. Not only because of its monopolistic condition, and the fact that it did not individually open the tap to new firms in the clubs of the Chinese Superliga. Also on an aesthetic issue. And the designs Nike has introduced in recent years into the competition are blamed for a great lack of originality and being cut off by the same pattern. Or, what's the same, an indirect accusation of not caring creatively enough about club equipment. It's just that the designs Nike has introduced in recent years are blamed for a great lack of originality and being cut off by the same pattern. Or what's the same, an indirect accusation of not caring creatively enough about club equipment.

This situation that led to Beijing Guoan, the club that most advocates for each club to have freedom of choice as to the firm that dresses it, for boycotting the entity's Nike products due to its disenchantment with the equipment that the firm had designed for it.

Once Nike's stance on his refusal to purchase Xinjiang cotton has been viral, despite being the sponsor of his sports clothes, some Chinese Superliga clubs have not taken long to show their unease. Proof of this, a vast majority of the teams have already positioned themselves, and in the official photos they distribute in their official accounts, they have removed any trace of the famous logo of the American firm, known as Swoosh. The example that can best illustrate this is Oscar, who still holds the title of being the most expensive booking in the history of the competition.

In the images that Shanghai Port made public of the session at the team base in Century Park on the day after the outbreak of the conflict, the Brazilian appears on his training clothes without any trace of the wing of the goddess Niké.

In the midst of all this confusion, the local firms have already made their voice sound as well. The first of them and the most explicit was Kelme. In a public statement, it has advanced its competitors in the upcoming bid to dress Chinese football, and has expressed its desire to contribute to the sponsorship of both the Chinese Superliga and the national combined.

Very active in the football world, the company founded by the Quiles brothers is already a sponsor of League one and League two, the two categories of Chinese football that are one step below the Chinese Superliga. Many already think that both the Chinese Superliga and the team could not have a better spokesperson than a local firm fully linked to football both abroad and in their local competitions.

We will have to see in the next few days whether this storm is leaking for the American firm, or whether its strong position in Chinese football is moving on to a better life. In this scenario, companies like Kelme could raise their share of leading role in local football, extending to the Chinese Superliga their sponsorship of the lower divisions.