Luka Modric became the latest high-profile footballer to signal his interest in swapping the dressing room for the boardroom. On Monday, it was announced the Real Madrid midfielder was "investor and co-owner" with a minority stake in Championship side Swansea City. BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team looks into why more and more footballers are investing in football clubs, rather than going into management. In February, Cristiano Ronaldo expressed a lack of desire to move into the dugout, once his playing days are over. "Me as a manager? I don't see it… it's more difficult than being a player," said Ronaldo. "If I can be a club owner, why would I be a manager, sporting director or CEO? That is a dream of mine and I am sure I'll be a club owner. I hope to have not just one club, but several clubs." Other players have gone one step further by investing in football clubs before retirement. Kylian Mbappe (SM Caen), Sadio Mane (Bourges Foot 18) Juan Mata (San Diego FC), Wilfried Zaha (AFC Croydon), Cesar Azpilicueta (Hashtag United) and Hector Bellerin (Forest Green) are just some of the names who appear to be planning for life after football. "I've got no interest in being a manager. It's not a passion of mine," said David Beckham (co-owner of Inter Miami and Salford City). "Being a coach is too much work," said Zlatan Ibrahimovic (investor in Hammarby and senior advisor at AC Milan). Both Beckham and Ibrahimovic had public run-ins with managers during their playing careers and it could be argued they are better suited at the top of the tree, rather than managing a squad of 25 players and taking instructions from a board of directors. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire told BBC Sport: "Footballers do not necessarily want to go into a coach/management role because of the stresses it brings. It also doesn't suit some personalities." The majority of football clubs do not make enough profit to financially benefit their owners and investors. Swansea's revenue stream has dwindled since their seven-year spell in the top flight ended in 2018 and the club have accumulated losses of £39m over the past three years. "I don't believe it's a financial move for the player. Swansea is losing £450,000 a week. He will bring his expertise to the table," said Maguire. "Luka Modric is not a brand like Ronaldo, Beckham or Mbappe. He is just a very good footballer. Modric wouldn't be named in a list of top 10 well-known players. Maguire added: "If a player is a brand in their own right, there are financial benefits for them and their clubs. But they do it for the love of the game and it allows them to stay in the realms of football." That is not to say pursuing football club ownership is not without risk. In July 2024, Mbappe completed the takeover of Ligue 2 side Caen, investing £12.6m in a majority stake. His first season in club ownership is likely to end with relegation for the French team. Spain's all-time top goalscorer David Villa was a co-founder of Queensboro FC. Since the club was announced in November 2019, they are yet to make their debut in the USL Championship, the second tier of football in the United States. Eden Hazard was announced as the co-owner - along with former Chelsea team-mate Demba Ba - of San Diego 1904, who were set to play in the North American Soccer League (NASL). The league collapsed before the club could play their first game. Meanwhile, the 'Class of 92' led by Gary Neville are aiming to take Salford City to the Championship by 2029. The club reached the English Football League with four promotions in five years but have remained in League Two since 2019. Players are actively seeking out opportunities to learn about the business side of the game. Ajax's Jordan Henderson, Aston Villa's Tryone Mings, and Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan are just some of those taking courses in football business management. "The PFA [Professional Footballers Association] has its own business school. Helping assist players from dressing room to boardroom. Rather than the dugout," Maguire added. "Footballers have a unique understanding of the game. They can combine skills they have gained from their playing days and can bring that to the boardroom". Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler is enrolled on the PFA Business School's Sporting Directorship programme. "There is more to football than playing and coaching. It just isn't about playing and I find that fascinating," said Fowler. "We want to see the game grow and be part of it. Coaching and managing is difficult and this job is extremely difficult. It is an avenue to stay within the parameters of football." How do athletes manage sleep, and how can you improve yours? How does BBC report on big stories about itself? Why are there so many international breaks in football? When does it get too hot to play tennis? How does the new Club World Cup work & why is it so controversial? We're looking for your questions for the Ask Me Anything team. Post them in the comments section and we'll look to answer the best of them in the future.

Beijing pledges to make domestic demand its main economic driver as escalating trade war with the US hits exports. China has set an annual growth target of “about 5 percent”, promising to make domestic demand its main economic driver as an escalating trade war with the United States hit exports. The headline growth figure announced by Premier Li Qiang at an annual Communist Party conclave on Wednesday also included a rare rise in fiscal funding, allowing China’s budget deficit to reach 4 percent this year as it battles stuttering employment for young people, low consumer demand and a property sector debt crisis. Under the plans, some 12 million new jobs will be created in Chinese cities as Beijing pushes for 2 percent inflation this year. “Budget deficit ratio from 3 percent to 4 percent doesn’t seem much, but that’s the highest that has been set in three decades. So the government is committing to spending more,” Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu said, reporting from Beijing. The Chinese government also pledged to make domestic demand the “main engine and anchor” of growth, adding that Beijing should “move faster to address inadequate domestic demand, particularly insufficient consumption”. In a rare move, Li said China would hike its fiscal deficit by one percentage point, something that analysts have said will give Beijing more latitude to tackle its economic slowdown. Addressing nearly 3,000 members of the National People’s Congress, Li in his 55-minute talk acknowledged both international and domestic challenges. “An increasingly complex and severe external environment may exert a greater impact on China in areas such as trade, science, and technology,” the 32-page report said. “Domestically, the foundation for China’s sustained economic recovery and growth is not strong enough. Effective demand is weak, and consumption, in particular, is sluggish.” China also said in a draft budget that defence spending would rise 7.2 percent this year as it rapidly modernises its armed forces in the face of regional tensions and strategic competition with the US. Since Xi Jinping became president and commander-in-chief more than a decade ago, China’s defence budget has ballooned to 1.78 trillion yuan ($245bn) this year from 720 billion yuan in 2013. “President Xi Jinping has made it very clear that he wants to modernise China’s military by the year 2035 and a lot of that money will go towards military technology, better missiles, better submarines and missile surveillance technology,” Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu said. At the same time, the Chinese military is trying to improve combat readiness through more rigorous training and drills, according to official reports – many of which involve Taiwan scenarios and territorial claims in the South China Sea. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory, but the Pacific island has had an independent government since 1949. Xi has repeatedly said he does not want to postpone unification indefinitely – and would use force, if necessary. China remains the world’s second-largest military spender behind the US, whose proposed military budget for 2025 is $850bn. Follow Al Jazeera English:...

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