|
 |
|
SOCCER BUDS: Children play soccer at the Haigeng Soccer Base in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, on May 15, 2009 (LIN YIGUANG) |
Ninety young Chinese, aged 12 and 13, will join the youth teams of Spanish La Liga clubs Atletico Madrid, Valencia and Villarreal for three years, the CFA and Wanda announced on December 18, 2011.
Wanda is said to invest 120 million yuan ($17.57 million) in the "Future Star" overseas program under its cooperation agreement with the CFA.
According to Wanda's contract with the three Spanish clubs, all Chinese players will be treated the same as their Spanish teammates in terms of training, accommodation, medical treatment and insurance.
The first 30 players selected will head to Spain before the opening of the 2012-13 season, and they will play at least 25 matches each year.
"Spanish soccer has long tradition and glorious achievements due to a combination of many factors, and their world-class youth system is very crucial," said Wei Di, Vice President of the CFA.
In addition the CFA has already sent dozens of youngsters to Brazil and Portugal, and also sealed agreements with the French club Le Mans and the English Premier League's Liverpool club.
A similar effort once benefited Chinese soccer in 1993 when the CFA sent a men's youth team to Brazil. That five-year training plan helped nurture several outstanding players.
However, the CFA soon abandoned the plan. In recent years, the association's ignorance has led to a shameful situation to Chinese soccer. According to the CFA, China had more than 650,000 players under the age of 18 registered in the early 1990s. That number plummeted to 7,000 at the end of 2010. In comparison, Japan has 500,000.
"The training system for Chinese teenage players has slipped into a state of paralysis over the past few years and we are beginning to pay for the mistakes now," Wei admitted.
According to Wei, the most pressing task for the CFA is to rebuild China's youth soccer development system, but the overseas programs also helped attract more children to the sport.
"It's hard to say how many good players we will get through the programs, and what achievements they will make," Wei said. "What I expect is that the players going abroad will immerse themselves in that environment and grow up smoothly. Meanwhile, the programs should also attract more children to play soccer."
Instead of resting hopes on Chinese soccer returning to the top flight of Asia in five years, Wei said he hoped to build up the foundation of China's youth soccer development system in five years and have more kids in the sport.
Wanda has planned to establish three national youth leagues.
Wanda Chairman Wang said that the number of young footballers in China should reach as high as 800,000 in three years if the plan succeeds.
Email us at: yinpumin@bjreview.com | 
