Chinese soccer reform's first phase 'nearly complete': CFA boss
The development of soccer youth training in China has become the main focus for Chinese soccer officials, as the country's soccer governing body on Sunday celebrated the second anniversary of the start of national soccer reform.
The 50-point soccer reform plan was issued in March 2015 with a three-step plan, with a short-term goal of improving soccer development.
Cai Zhenhua, Chinese Football Association (CFA) president, said the first phase of reform is "nearly complete."
"We are marching toward the second phase," Cai said in Beijing, before adding that part of the soccer reform experience has been shared to other sports administrations, like basketball.
He also noted problems in the soccer reform, saying some local soccer associations have yet to separate from their local sports governing body. The CFA broke up with the national sports governing body in August 2015.
Former Chinese national team captain Ma Mingyu, now leading a major youth training program in his hometown Chengdu, Southwest China's Si-chuan Province, believes Chinese kids take on 11-a-side games too late.
"Our kids only play 11-a-side games after primary school, which means when they are already about 12 or 13 years old," Ma said. "I think the earlier they start playing 11-a-side games, the better they can grasp formations, space and how to read the matches."
Ma believes the Chinese national -soccer team's performance cannot be the only yardstick of soccer reform, saying the reform is a long-term plan.
The medium-term target of the -reform includes increasing the number of youth players and making the men's national team return to prominence in Asia.
The past two years have witnessed a lucrative broadcasting deal with Chinese Super League (CSL) worth 8 billion yuan ($1.1 million). The CSL now can be seen on TV in more than 96 countries and regions, according to the CFA.
The Chinese national soccer team have been underachieving since their lone World Cup appearance in 2002 and finishing runners-up in the 2004 Asian Cup.
China are 86th in the FIFA rankings, and are experiencing difficulty earning a 2018 World Cup berth after missing the cut for World Cup final-round qualifiers for the past 15 years.
Sun Jihai, a member of China's 2002 World Cup squad before retiring in 2016, said the quality of Chinese players has dropped generation to generation.
The English Premier League Hall of Famer also said that only high-profile and well-financed clubs in China, who spend heavily on foreign players, -enjoy a solid fan base, adding that female -players also deserve the spotlight.
Former national team head coach Jin Zhiyang said the country should not rely on the quick success of the soccer reform, as the 1990s national soccer reform suffered numerous scandals, including match-fixing and players falsifying their age.
He also noted current Chinese -players are not working hard enough.
"If our soccer players cannot do more than others [players of other countries], how can we do better than them in the international stage?" Jin said. "Chinese players should not only play for money."
