Currently, Chinese soccer is in the midst of a storm of anti-corruption and gambling. Many players and soccer officials have fallen from grace and become suspects of serious disciplinary violations. Chen Xuyuan, the former chairman of the Football Association, was not spared. After his arrest, the power of the CFA fell to Du Zhaocai. Not long ago, he appeared at the national soccer team to mobilize the Chinese team that was about to fly to New Zealand for a friendly match!
Fans who follow Chinese soccer may know that the main manager of the Chinese national team is Chen Xuyuan, the president of the Football Association. He traveled with the team to West Asia during the previous Top 40 and Top 12 matches, and was fully involved in the preparation and play of the Chinese team. However, the secretary of the FA, Du Zhao, had to step up and be the speaker for today's Chinese team as Chen Xuyuan was arrested on suspicion of illegality and a new FA president did not show up.
According to the authoritative domestic media, Soccer Daily, Du Zhaocai flew to Guangzhou not long ago to visit the Chinese team training here, and mobilized and encouraged the national soccer players who were about to leave for New Zealand. This is also the first time Du Zhaocai appeared in the national soccer team after the arrest of Chen Xuyuan. It can be seen that the work of the FA has now been completely handed over to Du Zhaocai. However, according to Li Xuan, editor-in-chief of Football Daily, Du Zhaocai will retire at the end of March, and it remains to be seen who will control the FA.
When the big leaders come, it is natural for international players to show determination. Not long ago, Wu Lei, the top star of the national soccer team, was interviewed by CCTV Football Night. In the interview, he said:¡°We should show a new look in the game against New Zealand. The new coach came and emphasized a lot of details. First of all, we have to do a good job in defense and try to win the game without conceding a goal. Because Jankovic told us that there are no friendly matches between national teams, so we have to do our best to win all the matches!"
As for the ultimate goal of the Chinese team, of course, is to enter the 2026 World Cup. In this regard, Wu Lei said:Â "This is not only my own dream, but also the dream of all soccer players in China. Whether we are old players or new internationals, we will try our best to make the dream come true!"
Considering that the 2026 World Cup will be expanded to include an unprecedented 8.5 Asian tournament slots, China's hopes of returning to the World Cup are still high. I hope that this new national football team from the "mud" out of the new national football team can bring you a different feeling!
