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Sports

China's scandal-plagued Super League reboots with crowded stadiums

World Cup qualifiers kick off national team's quest to make mark on global stage

Brazil's Oscar was signed from Chelsea in 2016 to join the Chinese Super League's Shanghai Port.   © AFP/Jiji

LONDON -- The soccer world's interest in China has waned as stories of the gold rush that reached its height in 2016 with famous players and coaches arriving gave way to tales of clubs going bankrupt, stars going unpaid and then going home.

Being out of the limelight may be what one of soccer's underachievers needs, however. The 2023 Chinese Super League season, which returned to normal service after three years of COVID-related lockdowns and restrictions, ended this month amid some optimism.

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