The governing body of soccer in China on Wednesday announced a personnel change proposal suggesting the introduction of representatives from sports and finance onto its executive committee.
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) proposed cutting the number of vice-chairpersons from four to three, while financier Li Ruigang and former athlete and coach Gao Hongbo were nominated as members of the executive committee, Wei Jixiang, vice-chairman of the CFA, announced on the first day of the second General Assembly of the 10th session of the CFA in Yunnan Province.
Gao Hongbo, a former star striker, was named head coach of the national soccer team by the CFA in May 2009. Li Ruigang, who chairs investment firm China Media Capital, signed a deal in October for the exclusive global broadcast rights across all media over the next five years for the Chinese Super League, the country's highest tier of professional association football.
"Introducing professionals into the CFA could help smooth soccer reform. Previously, many officials with little work experience in soccer were appointed to the CFA," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
People like Gao in contrast could give professional advice on the future development of soccer, Wang said.
The CFA broke away from the Chinese Football Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China in August to become an independent organization, news site chinanews.com reported.
Wei said that the proposal is made in answer to the CFA reform plan released in August, which requests that the CFA reduce personnel from governmental administrative departments and introduce more people from professional soccer leagues and from the economic and legal fields.
However, it is unlikely that the CFA will be completely free from governmental interference, Wang said.
"Soccer reform in China has a long way to go," said Wang, suggesting that the CFA should have professionals recommended and elect a proper coach for the national teams.
The General Assembly of the CFA will review and vote on the personnel changes on Friday. China's central reform group headed by President Xi Jinping launched a plan to revive Chinese soccer in March, calling for changes in every sector of the sport.
