Spurs will play Hull, who beat Beijing Guoan 5-4 on penalties, in Friday's final.

BBC: Boa Morte faces six-month lay-off

For the past decade, the Chinese Super League has fielded 16 teams (Bejing Guoan is the 2009 champion) throughout China, from Dalian to Shenzhen.

FORBES: Why China Isn't At The World Cup

CGI, a start-up investment firm that is based in Beijing and is controlled jointly by the mainland's telecoms industry and Citic Guoan, a media group, was said to be preparing a joint bid with Netcom.

ECONOMIST: Telecoms