On October 24, a piece of news in the soccer newspaper attracted widespread attention. Simon, the skills director of Luneng Football School, put forward a controversial idea in an interview: to learn from the successful experience of Portuguese soccer, so that the reserve team and perhaps the second team of the Chinese Super League to join the league.
Here is Simon's detailed discussion:
Simon pointed out that the most urgent need for China's soccer is the interface between the youth training stage and the professional stage. He believes that allowing reserve teams to participate in the league is a feasible path.
Some 20 years ago, he recalled, the Portuguese national team was at a second- or even third-rate level in Europe, having never won a European Cup and having a poor record in international cups. However, with the introduction of the Reserve League program by the Portuguese Football Federation (FFP), this situation has been radically changed.
Portugal's reserve team can play all the way up to the first division, which provides young players with a wealth of experience in the game. Simon suggested that our Football Association can learn from this model, so that some of the Chinese Super League team's reserve team to participate in the Central League, so as to enhance the competitive level of young players.
Our reserve and U19 leagues in the past were not very competitive and young players did not grow substantially at the age of 21, 22 or 23. The success of Portuguese soccer, on the other hand, shows that young players should be established in the top league by the time they are 20 years old.
Simon believes that this model can help our country's soccer make a qualitative leap. He has worked in our country for seven years and has an in-depth understanding of our soccer.
The youth stage is to deliver talent to the first team, but first team coaches often find it difficult to meet their requirements when looking at U19 players. However, if the reserve team can achieve excellent results in the Central League, it will be easy for players to enter the Super League.
This model reduces the challenge that coaches pose to young players and makes it easier for them to gain a foothold in the top flight. The success of Portuguese soccer has shown that this model helps to change coaches' perceptions and allows them to trust young players more.
Premier League reserves join the league and are not directly promoted to the top flight, but face relegation pressure, which helps players to challenge themselves in training and growth.
Simon is also concerned about the development of our youth training, for example, allowing young players to compete at the next level, which is a progress worth recognizing. He has led Porto U13 to compete in the U15 competition, allowing them to constantly face challenges in order to improve their competitive level.
At present, soccer in China has excellent campuses, infrastructure and players. With the support of the FA's policies, it is believed that young players will grow faster and emerge in the top leagues, and even go to the international stage in the future.
