The National Olympic team is in turmoil again
With the curtain falling on the U23 Asian Cup, the national Olympic team failed to advance to the knockout stage, but defended its honor in the final game. However, Madsen's interview with Cheng Yaodong unexpectedly set off a huge wave of public opinion. Media people have spoken out and blasted Cheng Yaodong's comments, and a polemic about soccer has begun.
In the interview, Sung Yeo-dong revealed that his contract will expire with the completion of the National Olympic Team's mission. He explained that the long training sessions in the past were due to the lack of playing opportunities for the players at their clubs. He admitted that his technical and tactical philosophy is constantly evolving to suit the needs of different stages of the mission. He is confident about the future of Chinese soccer, vowing to devote himself to its revitalization regardless of his future career.
However, this statement was not recognized by everyone. Media personality Pan Weili bluntly said that Sung Yeo-dong's statement was full of holes and cited the overseas training list for the 2023 season and the players' match data from the 2022 season as evidence. He pointed out that some of the players played more than 20 matches in the 2022 season, while they rarely performed in the 2023 season training.
Pan Weili's words seem to have dealt a blow to Cheng Yaodong, who has also been challenged by players amidst the furor. For example, a Guangzhou player surnamed Xu publicly criticized Cheng Yaodong on social media, expressing his dissatisfaction with him. The player, who did not get a chance to play in the National Olympic team, might have performed better in the Central League.
More surprisingly, another media person, Xu Zexin, broke the news on social media, saying that Cheng Yaodong often disappeared strangely during the usual training, and that some players put on airs in the team, making private rules and requiring the whole team to wait for him to take his seat before they could eat. What's more, a late arrival led to players breaking the rules and nearly triggered a conflict.
If these revelations are true, then the interview arranged by Ma Dexing for Cheng Yaodong has undoubtedly pushed Chinese soccer into an environment full of gossip and drama. It seems that this soccer show will continue.
