China · Europe · Ownership
Why China pulled out of European football
China didn't lose interest in football. The state took back control.
October 2026
Sport & Power
Where sport
meets power.
Sport is never just a game. Behind every club takeover, Grand Prix and World Cup sponsor, there is a state, a strategy and a balance of power. Grip breaks it down, one briefing at a time.
01 — Latest briefings
Coming soonGulf · Hosting
Why every Gulf state wants a Grand Prix
Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Abu Dhabi: four races, one strategy.
Coming soon
Coming soonGulf · Hosting
The war rewrote sport's calendar
Cancelled races, relocated finals: who is still paying to host?
Coming soon
02 — What we look at
- 01
State ownership
When governments and sovereign funds own clubs, teams and leagues.
- 02
Hosting
Why countries compete to stage Grands Prix, World Cups and Olympics.
- 03
Sponsorship
Who pays to put their name on the shirt, the stadium and the screen.
- 04
Media rights
Who decides what the world gets to watch.
−46%
Chinese investment abroad, first half of 2017
€395M
The loan Suning couldn't repay before losing Inter
1.5BN
Viewers of the 2026 World Cup final
One briefing.
Every week.
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