On March 23, former well-known international footballer Xu Liang posted a video on his personal social media platform, in which he candidly recalled the injustices he suffered during his playing career, especially mentioning his exclusion from the national team during his peak years, with some even citing his unique way of celebrating as the reason.
Xu Liang, born in 1981, was a stalwart of the National Youth and National Olympic Teams, and won glory for his country in the 2001 World Youth Championship. He made his national team debut in the 2002 Bahrain Invitational Tournament, helping China beat Syria 3-1. Despite several stints in the national team, Xu Liang has not appeared in the national soccer roster since 2007.
Talking about this experience, Xu Liang said bluntly, "Individuals can't solve all the problems, we are all mortal and powerless. In our working life, we all encounter unfairness, human feelings, and collusion, all of which are the norm in the workplace. But tell me, what can you change? Do you have the power to fix these problems? You can only do what you can do."
Xu Liang further emphasized, "You think you can, that's just what you think. Is your strength recognized by others? My strength is not only what I think, but also what my family and the fans who support me think I can do. I did equally well in the league, leading in goals at one point, and as a five-year veteran of the national team, such performances shouldn't be overlooked. Yet, at 28, I was turned away from the national team in my prime."
Speaking about being asked by the media why he wasn't selected for the national team, Xu Liang said, "Some people didn't like the way I celebrated, I'm not sure why, but the result was that I fell out of the team. Since then, my name has never been on the national team list."
Xu Liang finally concluded, "You guys can savor it yourselves! It's useless to say too much, some things are just like that. In the professional arena, the situation may not be the same, but some truths are common."
