On April 29th, a report in Football Daily revealed that when talking about Shanghai soccer, Shenhua and Seaport may be the first to come to mind, however, Jiading Huilong, a Chinese first division team, has become a bright spot in Shanghai soccer with its youth development model rooted in the Jiading district. This model is quite instructive for small and medium-sized clubs.
In Europe, numerous small and medium-sized clubs, even those active in top leagues, generally rely on community support. It has become a major feature of European soccer to cultivate a community soccer culture through deep plowing in the region and to enhance the soccer level of the whole region through youth training. Shanghai Jiading Huilong, a practitioner of this philosophy, has set a model for small and medium-sized clubs in China.
The investor Lu Jianjun has invested more than 200 million yuan in the field of soccer, from 2009 to date, its investment is not insignificant. At present, Jiading Huilong's total annual expenditure is about 24.9 million yuan. In the 2023 season, for example, the investment in the first team and the youth training ladder is almost equal, highlighting the club's emphasis on youth training.
Before the establishment of Jiading Huilong youth training system, Jiading District soccer was not prominent in the country. However, after years of cultivation, today Jiading District youth soccer is among the top in Shanghai and even in the country.2023, Jiading District won six titles and three runner-ups in municipal competitions, the U15 age group finished sixth in the country at the CYC, and the U13 age group won the national championship.
Talent transfer is the ultimate goal of elite youth training for professional clubs, and Jiading Huilong has done well in this regard. A typical example is player Gao Le, who has been selected for the national youth team and has a record of appearances. His growth trajectory epitomizes the results of Jiading's youth training.
However, in recent years, a reduction in purchasing funds from the Jiading District Education Bureau and the elimination of sponsorship for Jiading Huilong has put tremendous pressure on the club's operations. Last year, players had to take a three-day bus trip to Kunming to save on travel expenses. Youth training, which used to be free, is now paid for by some players out of pocket, which is a drop in the bucket for small and medium-sized clubs.
In the face of adversity, Jiading Huilong had to make cutbacks. Once more than 70 youth training coaching team, now downsized to more than 40 people. Some coaches need to take care of campus services, Lu Jianjun said "no way", "sometimes playing soccer is really helpless." Nevertheless, he has no regrets. The native of Jiading firmly believes that "Shanghai not only has Shenhua and Harbor, but also small and medium-sized clubs like Jiading. Our players are trained by ourselves." Lu Jianjun said.
