While articles like this can be very upsetting to Chinese fans, we don't have the confidence to refute them. The Chinese men's soccer team has been reduced to losing to teams like Vietnam. What can we do compared to Japan and South Korea? Don't talk about the top 16 knockout rounds. Even if the Chinese men's soccer team were to play in the World Cup again, it would be enough to make Chinese fans excited for three days and three nights.
The articles in the Western media point directly to the difference between Japanese and Korean soccer and Chinese soccer, which is exporting young people rather than foreigners. In other words, Japan and Korea try to send youngsters while China tries to bring in foreigners. This statement is a pun. On the one hand, it suggests that China does not have young players to participate in overseas high-level leagues and has insufficient reserves; secondly, it points out that China's naturalization policy is just drinking hemlock to quench the thirst and cannot solve the problem fundamentally.
Statistically, there are currently 451 overseas players in Japan and 330 in South Korea, naturally including five European leagues or other local leagues. During this time, China has only one Wu Lei to nominate overseas players. Compared to the large number of overseas players in Japan and South Korea, domestic players just want to hang around in the Chinese Super League. If they don't have the strength and courage to go abroad, their skills cannot improve. In the long run, the level of Chinese players will stagnate or even regress.
Currently, the Chinese men's soccer team is ranked 79th in the world, not even as good as Georgia and Uzbekistan. Even if the number of teams participating in the World Cup doubles, China may not make it to the main tournament. As the world's most populous country and second-largest economy, the Chinese Super League was once known as the best league outside of the Big Five. Now, it's just a fake boom under money.
While Japan and South Korea next door battle it out in the knockout rounds of the World Cup, ironically, the former local coach of the Chinese men's soccer team is in jail for money! The problem with Chinese soccer is a cliché. If you don't get to the root of it, it will never emerge. I hope Chinese fans will see Chinese players on the World Cup stage soon.
