More and more money

"That is grassroots soccer and I think that most of the schools in places like Shanghai they don't have any space to play soccer.

"Badminton, ping-pong and basketball you need very little space."

China's breathtaking economic rise has seen its cities and towns develop at a rapid pace, with space for sports fields way down the list of priorities.

But even if Chinese youngsters were given opportunities to succeed, they need an inspirational "big star" to make it in England, Spain or Germany, Eriksson said.

"China needs a Chinese player playing in Premier League or La Liga or Bundesliga or somewhere, and who can do it with success," he said.

"That is the only way (for soccer) to be big in this country."

Eriksson joined Shanghai in November after an 18-month stint at another Chinese Super League outfit, Guangzhou R&F, where he was also "ambassador for schools soccer".

He is among the big names to have arrived in China as the CSL emerges from years of corruption that threatened to derail the sport in the country.

Italian World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro joined current champion Guangzhou Evergrande as manager in November, replacing the highly successful Marcello Lippi.

Cannavaro and Eriksson have been at the center of a cash splurge in the CSL, whose clubs spent 122.2 million euros ($165 million) during the January transfer window, according to statistics from transfer market.

The figure is almost double last year's figure and second only to the English Premier League (186.8 million euros), the German website said.

The 47 foreign imports, including Australia's Tim Cahill and a plethora of Brazilian talent, doubled the CSL's foreign ranks ahead of the season opening last month.

"The standard of Chinese soccer is getting better and better," Eriksson said, praising a league which is now the most watched in Asia.

"More and more money goes into soccer clubs. Rich people buying it. Government-owned companies buying soccer clubs and the money is more and more to buy foreign players and also big competition to take the best Chinese players."

But he was evasive on his own reported windfall from the Chinese game, when asked if his annual salary was near the $6 million reported in local media.

"Not at all," he said with a laugh. "I have a good salary, but not at all."