Nicolas Anelka is the headline act as the Chinese Super League kicks off on Saturday with high hopes the game can put behind it an era of rampant corruption and failure on the international stage.
Shanghai Shenhua's signing of former Chelsea and Real Madrid striker Anelka has sparked frenzied excitement across the nation, with hopes it will have a similar effect to that of David Beckham in America.
And ambitious Shanghai have left their number 11 shirt open in the hope of signing Anelka's former teammate Didier Drogba as the Chinese game boosts its global profile on the back of big-name players.
Other clubs have scrambled aboard the bandwagon in an effort to stop moneybags Guangzhou Evergrande winning a second consecutive championship.
The Evergrande Real Estate Company made a huge investment in Guangzhou FC at the end of 2009, acquiring several Chinese national team players.
Last year they signed two-time Brazilian league player of the year Dario Conca for around 10 million euros ($13 million) from Fluminese of Brazil.
The Argentine plays alongside Brazilian strikers Cleo and Muriqui in a strong-looking line-up for the league favourites, who finished strongly ahead of second-placed Beijing Guoan in 2011.
The southern Chinese outfit laid down a serious statement of intent this week, thumping last year's beaten finalists Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors of South Korea 5-1 away in their ACL Champions League opener.
To help fund Anelka's reported weekly salary of 234,000 euros, Shanghai Shenhua have more than doubled the price of season tickets from 350 yuan ($55) to 800 yuan.
Former professional footballer Don O'Riordan, who now coaches in Beijing, says the Frenchman's star power could inspire a new generation of Chinese youngsters to take up the game.
"If things go well for everyone concerned, the name Anelka could go down in football history as the one who turned around the game of football in China."
"I've never been so excited about a football season before," said Shanghai Shenhua fan Ma Haiping. "Anelka will bring out more fans everywhere and that is what Chinese football needs."
Fierce rivals Beijing Guoan have also hiked ticket prices but their increase, from 360 yuan to 500 yuan, was more modest due to a lack of star signings.
The focus in China is now firmly back on the pitch after years of corruption.
The conviction earlier this year of several high-profile referees and senior officials has drawn a line under a lengthy corruption scandal and appears to have boosted ticket sales and investor confidence.
Insiders agree the game has largely cleaned up its act in recent years, reflected in an increase in average attendances from 10,500 in 2006 to more than 17,500 last year, and the decision of China's national sports channel to resume broadcasting CSL games for the upcoming season.
However, some worry that the money being pumped into the CSL is doing little for grassroots football.
And the development of solid fan bases is also an issue in some cities.
Two teams abruptly relocated during the off-season -- Shaanxi Renhe caused outrage in Xi'an by leaving average crowds of 30,000 to relocate to Guiyang in Guizhou province, for sponsorship reasons, and are now called Guizhou Renhe.
Nanchang Hengyuan also left a solid support base in Jiangxi province to move east and are now known as Shanghai Shenxin.
Source: AFP
