Footballers' association needed to protect players’ rights

Chinese soccer fans have experienced a big drop in quality as they returned to watching -domestic games after the culmination of the World Cup.

This lack of quality was highlighted by a jaw-dropping incident which featured Shenzhen Ruby players' publicly appealing for help to resolve their salary issues.

Ruby players posted banners ahead of the kickoff of their Chinese FA Cup game against -top-tier league giants Shandong Luneng, imploring the government and China's soccer ruling body, the Chinese Football -Association (CFA), to intervene.

After Frenchman Philippe Troussier resigned as Ruby's head coach last year, the club put Li Yi, former China international and assistant coach to Troussier, in charge.

While Li took the reins, Ruby found a new major sponsor, Neo Capital. It seemed the Shenzhen-based club was rid of their financial problems. But Tuesday's game proved that the crisis affecting the club still exists, and has even worsened.

Reports say the club has been in trouble for more than six months, and even the team's shuttle bus to the training camp springs a leak when it rains.

Judging from previous experience, when it comes to handling hot -potatoes, seeking help from the -governing body isn't a wise choice.

According to CFA transfer rules, a player could get a free transfer if his club has been mired in a salary crisis for more than three months, but no Ruby player has left since the scandal came to light.

Forming a players' association would be an excellent -option since China doesn't yet have one.

In 2011, two players' associations delivered lockouts in -different sports worldwide.

In soccer, footballers in Spain went on strike for weeks ahead of the 2011-12 season to protect their members from the mismanagement of clubs who owed their players wages.

In US basketball, the NBA suffered their fourth lockout in history. Fans waited for five months until the National Basketball Players Association reached an agreement with the owners over salaries.

World soccer players' union FIFPro (International Federation of Professional Footballers) would be happy to see a new member from the most populous country rather than having observer status, but what really matters is that Chinese players can be represented by people in the best situation to actually help them.