A Tragic Hero in a Borrowed Jersey: The Grassroots Rhetoric and Contested Identity of Guihua (Naturalized) Athletes in Chinese Football
Published online on November 23, 2025
Abstract
Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print.
This study introduces the Chinese concept ofguihua(归化) to challenge conventional understandings of athlete naturalization. Through Fantasy Theme Analysis of 1,124 fan comments from China’s largest football platform (2019–2025), we explore the bottom-up ...
This study introduces the Chinese concept ofguihua(归化) to challenge conventional understandings of athlete naturalization. Through Fantasy Theme Analysis of 1,124 fan comments from China’s largest football platform (2019–2025), we explore the bottom-up ...