As the dust settles on the CFA's general election, the list of newly-formed leaders coincides with earlier leaks, which seems to indicate that the federation is still following its established internal procedures. Soon after the new president Song Kai took office, CCTV revealed a soccer scandal that shocked the industry, an event that instantly sparked widespread discussion among fans.
In the program of Football Night, CCTV revealed the fact that the accumulated debt of CFA is up to more than 700 million dollars. According to the financial statement released by the CFA, the total debt of the CFA in 2022 has climbed to 1.2 billion, with the debt increasing by more than 700 million in five years; while the total income in the same year was only 580 million, with the income decreasing by nearly 300 million in five years. In the face of such huge losses, the responsibility of former FA executives Du Zhaocai and Chen Xuyuan cannot be ignored.
Under Cai Zhenhua, Chinese soccer enjoyed a rare period of prosperity, however, the CFA has fallen on hard times since Du Zhaocai joined the organization in 2017 and Chen Xuyuan in 2019. During the tenure of the two leaders, the national soccer team's performance has continued to decline and debts have accumulated to 700 million. Rumor has it that Chen Xuyuan rolled up $3 billion, while Du Zhaocai has passed away.
The data revealed by CCTV actually signaled to the outside world that Song Kai was facing a lot of challenges and that the FA he took over was in a quagmire. Song Kai quickly responded by drawing a line in the sand with his predecessor and making it clear that his first priority was to ensure that the FA did not come up with bizarre policies, and that the new policies had to be in line with the expectations of the community. This suggests that the chaos of the Du Zhaocai and Chen Xuyuan era will be completely discarded and Song Kai will listen to public opinion.
However, outsiders are wary of Song Kai's performance. As history has shown, even in chaotic times, even with famous generals such as Sun Chengzong and Yuan Chonghuan, it is difficult to reverse a defeat. Where is the future of national soccer? Is it Wu Lei? This is nothing but fantasy. Therefore, Song Kai put forward practical suggestions: on the one hand, to bring in more excellent coaches to participate in youth training; on the other hand, to improve the competitiveness of the Chinese Super League, refer to the standard of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and to increase the openness of foreign aid introduction. However, all this requires time and money.
The leadership of the Football Association has changed again, this time, can Chinese soccer see the light of day?
