Next-gen urged to answer China's call

CFA president rallies youth squads as homegrown push gains momentum

As Chinese soccer bids farewell to its days of lavish spending on foreign stars, now comes the hard work for the nation's homegrown hopefuls.

With tough new salary caps in place, the Chinese Football Association is forging ahead with plans to shift the spotlight away from imported players and onto domestic talent.

Last weekend, CFA president Chen Xuyuan and Team China head coach Li Tie ushered in the new era by visiting the nation's under-21 and under-19 squads in Haikou, Hainan province.

Chen made it clear to the youngsters exactly what is at stake.

"You need to remember that you are the future of Chinese soccer," Chen told the players. "All national squads are required to be competitive and show fighting spirit. Without a certain determination, no one can be a great soccer player.

"There's still a big gap between Chinese soccer and the world's powerhouses. And there are also many strong rivals in Asia. Compared with young talent of the same age in other countries, we still have a long way to go. But we cannot just give up and we have to catch up with them.

"You all have goals in your personal careers. Meanwhile, you are shouldering the expectations of the Chinese public. When you play on the pitch, you are not just playing for yourselves, you are also playing for the nation and to give hope to our fans."

Chinese soccer has been struggling for the past decade, with many observers blaming shortcomings in the country's youth training system for the slump.

The last and only time Team China qualified for the World Cup was in 2002, with coach Li's current crop of players looking doubtful to reach the 2022 finals in Qatar despite the introduction of a number of naturalized players to the ranks.

Meanwhile, the men's Olympic team has missed out on a ticket to the Tokyo Games. The last time China's men played at an Olympics was in 2008 when they automatically qualified as host in Beijing.

"You guys are a future Chinese Olympic team, and you should work hard to earn a ticket to the 2024 Games," Chen told the under-21 squad. "I hope you can give your utmost efforts－at every training session and every match.

"I also hope you can be good examples of the next generation of Chinese soccer players, who have the right attitude and show good sportsmanship. Violence, in particular, will not be tolerated on the pitch."

Earlier this month, the CFA published a reform and development plan for Chinese soccer, which stresses the importance of establishing a comprehensive youth training system at all levels of the game.

The plan stipulates that by 2023, each Chinese Super League club should have nine youth teams of various age groups; second-tier teams are required to have seven youth squads. Clubs are also encouraged to establish comprehensive evaluation systems for young players, with teams set to be evaluated on their youth training work.

A separate 109-page CFA document published in November－the result of a collaborative effort between domestic and foreign experts－clarifies the aims, philosophies and coaching guidelines of Chinese youth soccer.

As well as applying these principles to its national teams, coach training programs and youth training centers, the CFA will help schools to incorporate the blueprint into their PE and soccer education classes.

"What is the future path for Chinese soccer? We've developed soccer youth training for years, and will these efforts help the development of Chinese soccer? What is the right direction for soccer youth training? These are all questions that need answers," Wang Dengfeng, head of the department of physical, health and arts education at the Ministry of Education, told Xinhua.

"Many people are trying to give answers. But in many cases, some people or organizations just write a report after a trip to a foreign country. The report might be about the systems in the UK, Brazil or Japan, and it might suggest we just need to copy one of those systems. However, this is not effective.

"Chinese universities and soccer institutions should carefully study these questions and provide scientific suggestions. We need to have comprehensive plans on how to nurture domestic talent. It's about when and how to teach young players in different age groups about different skills and philosophies."