This is still true to some extent, but something crucial has changed: football, like other types of commerce, has gone global. Thanks to new ownership rules, cable television, product endorsements, and other business-related factors, there are probably more supporters of Manchester United in China than there are in the United Kingdom, let alone in the city of Manchester.
从某种程度上说，这一点仍然成立，但一些关键之处已经发生了变化：足球和其他种类的营生一样，已经走向了全球化。新的所有权规则、有线电视、产品代言和其他商业相关因素使得中国的曼联球迷可能比英国还多，更不用说曼彻斯特了。足球队现在就像是跨国特许精英企业，教练和队员都是全球遴选而得。