Under the keen attention of soccer fans, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) has recently experienced a storm of change. Song Kai, the former head of the Liaoning Provincial Sports Bureau, quickly took the helm and became the new helmsman of China's soccer world. Not long ago, the new CFA chairman faced the public for the first time, depicting the blueprint for China's soccer development.
According to domestic media reports, Song Kai recently visited Weifang, Shandong to observe the second round of the U15 final of the Youth Championship and personally presented the trophy to the Shandong Taishan U15 team. This marked Song Kai's first public appearance since taking office, sparking widespread speculation among fans and the media. What strategy will he use to lead the way to the revival of Chinese soccer?
On October 22nd, 19:00, Beijing time, Song Kai faced questions directly in the media meeting. Talking about the future focus of the Football Association, Song Kai firmly said: "Our leadership team is well aware of the crucial importance of youth training. The first and foremost step on the road to the rise of Chinese soccer is to strengthen youth training, which must start from the roots. At present, there is a big gap between the treatment of youth training coaches and that of first-team coaches. We must improve this situation and attract more excellent coaches to devote themselves to youth training. At the same time, we will create a more competitive environment to provide players with more competitive opportunities."
Song Kai also responded to each of the FA's past policies that have sparked controversy. He emphasized, "The CFA can no longer make surprising policies. New policies must be close to the expectations of society, which is my first principle in office. The policy will be more open and never look back. In the past, the Chinese team has experienced league glory and the storm of the U23 policy. Such a spectacle will not be repeated!"
Song Kai revealed at the symposium that CFA is actively bidding to host the World Youth Championships and the World Youth Football Championships and has started in-depth discussions with FIFA. He firmly believes that these two youth soccer events will soon take root in China. As hosts, the Chinese National Youth and National Junior Teams will be given priority to participate in the tournaments, which is undoubtedly great good news for them and will help them return to the world stage.
Song Kai's statement has won the praise of countless fans, many of whom said with anticipation that they saw the dawn of the rise of the national soccer team. However, whether the FA can put the promise into action is still a mystery to be solved. Let's wait and see, time will give the most just answer.
