In an in-depth interview with Soccer Daily, Xiamen Football Association Vice President Su Meilong expressed his vision fondly: Xiamen, the scenic seaside city, should have its own professional soccer team.
Recently, the 2024 "I Love Soccer" Xiamen Youth Soccer Tournament and the White Dolphin Cup Cross-Strait (Xiamen) Youth Soccer Tournament have been in full swing, which have not only accumulated valuable experience for the Xiamen Football Association in large-scale activities, but also highlighted the absence of professional soccer in Xiamen. Su Meilong lamented, "Many Xiamen citizens are looking forward to this open and beautiful seaside city having a professional team of its own, which is not only my dream, but also the common wish of many Xiamenites."
Su Meilong not only serves as the vice-chairman of Xiamen Football Association, but also used to be a professional player. In the eyes of many Xiamen citizens, the Xiamen Football Association carries the soccer dreams of 5.3 million people. Over the past 30 years, Xiamen has left its mark in China's top league. But since the era of Xiamen Blue Lions, Xiamen soccer has disappeared from the top league for nearly 17 years.
Talking about the youth soccer tournament, Su Meilong said, "By organizing such events, we have accumulated rich experience in event planning, publicity and promotion, teamwork and crisis management. These experiences have not only made us more mature and confident, but also laid a solid foundation for the smooth running of future events."
It is worth noting that in recent years, the Xiamen municipal government has attached great importance to the impact of high-level events and high-level professional sports clubs on the city. Earlier this year in May, the Xiamen Sports Bureau and the Finance Bureau jointly released the Implementation Measures for Funding and Incentives for High-Level Professional Sports Clubs in Xiamen (2024 Revision), which provides funding for professional sports clubs in soccer, basketball and volleyball.
Funding is provided to professional sports clubs, including the champion Xiamen team, and the amount of funding varies according to the level at which the club participates. For example, clubs participating in the Chinese Super League receive up to 20 million yuan per season, while clubs participating in the Women's Super League receive up to 6 million yuan.
Su Meilong emphasized that the establishment of high-quality teams is the top priority of the work, which includes both professional and amateur teams. Xiamen FA will pay close attention to youth training, team building and high-quality development, and continue to innovate the system and improve the policy to promote the sustainable development of Xiamen soccer.
Mr. Chan Pak Cheung, the special guest of White Dolphin Cup, shared in the interview his unbreakable relationship with soccer. Although he never became a professional player, soccer has always been his hobby. Now at the age of 74, he has gained a new identity through soccer and has become a soccer hero in the hearts of children. Chan Pak Cheung said his wish is to inspire children to love soccer.
