Chinese cash for European soccer 'helps build bridges'

Huge sums poured into overseas teams could benefit domestic game

China's ambitious investment in professional soccer overseas is likely to pay off at home with a boost in the domestic game, thanks to expertise gained from being close to the action in well-established foreign clubs, industry insiders said.

They were responding to critics who said soccer-obsessed Chinese tycoons have been scrambling to buy stakes in European clubs. Many observers have asked whether the fantastic sums of money involved should have been invested in soccer within China.