May 26 - Guangzhou R&F has withdrawn from professional soccer in China, and Guangdong media Nanfang Daily recently visited the R&F Football School.
A recent investigation by a media reporter in Yanyang Town, Meixian District, Meizhou City, found that the "Blue Lions of Southern Guangdong" are still going strong. The Fortune Football School, known as one of China's "Four Great Football Schools" along with Evergrande, Luneng and Greentown, is exploring reformed youth training methods. "It was just an attempt to survive and develop at the time, and the cooperation between the two sides lasted only one semester. Currently, after a series of adjustments to the management structure, the soccer school is back on the right track." Feng Shiliang, who is now the principal of the soccer school, told reporters. He officially took over as principal earlier this year.
This year, the soccer school is celebrating its 10th year of operation. "Our soccer school will continue to operate and stand up the soccer township of Meizhou, where we hope to train the next Guangdong international player in the future." Feng Shiliang said.
"During the cooperation with Chelsea and Ajax, the two clubs sent 20 foreign coaches to the soccer school," recalled Qiu Xingquan, head of the soccer school's athlete development center. Through learning and borrowing, we summarized and established our own youth training system. Including soccer's technical and tactical concepts, scouting system for player talent identification, data analysis system, player sports performance evaluation, sports rehabilitation physiotherapy and a whole set of systems, which has far-reaching significance for our future development." Qiu Xingquan said.
Currently, the football school has 203 students, including 71 free elite students, 132 fee-paying students, and a system of six elite echelons of U100 retention, U11, U12/U13, U14, U15 and U16. The soccer school should continue to operate for a long time and funding is naturally a priority. "Through the activity camps managed by the soccer school, we can undertake some activities, summer camps, from which we get part of the income, together with the tuition fees of the fee-paying students and other small incomes, we try to realize the self-sufficiency of the soccer school in this year." Feng Shiliang told reporters. Currently, the annual expenditure of the soccer school is about 15 million yuan.
