On February 3, the night was low, former well-known player Gao Leilei made a sharp statement on social media, hitting the pain point of Chinese soccer. He pointed out that Chinese soccer is caught in an unsolvable dead cycle, and the youth training system has lagged behind compared to Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Myanmar.
Gao Leilei wrote in the article: "For a long time, I always have a question: Chinese soccer has never seen any improvement, but why are there always people who scoff at others? Isn't it sad that they have created a bunch of famous players for themselves? Both the players and the practitioners who make a living out of it are eager to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Chinese soccer, and have a lucky break. It's not like a professional athlete watching a ball boy argue about who has better footwork, it's boring and unhelpful. Soccer requires a love of life, and only those who love life can navigate the world of soccer. It is not a sport like gymnastics or table tennis, where you can win a championship just by hard work. 'Love' is not only a social issue, it is an educational issue; it is an individual issue as well as a collective one. People without ideas can't get a foothold in soccer, and people with ideas can hardly stand out in Chinese soccer!"
"I remember seven years ago, during a project to donate 21 soccer fields in refugee camps in Myanmar, I realized that youth soccer in Myanmar had surpassed China. Taking this as a starting point, China's youth training system has lagged behind countries like Myanmar and Vietnam by a decade. I really don't understand why anyone would be surprised at losing to Vietnam. Donate to Myanmar because charity has nothing to do with nationality or race. Chinese schools don't donate much either, but very few people really understand soccer development!"
"What Chinese soccer needs is respect from the global soccer community! We have the largest number of local soccer celebrities, with those who were once in the Hai Ridge base, nine out of ten have been in the national team, and the remaining one is also a member of the national Olympic team. We have the largest number of soccer 'experts', with examples of non-professional origins but youth training that is more professional than the professionals! What a moving soccer environment this is! Encourage crossovers, without them there is no soccer! Ask the professionals to quit!" (DD)
