The journey of rejuvenation of the national football team is like climbing a dangerous peak, not a one-day effort. In the fierce international matches, the youngsters often appear to be young and inexperienced, hesitant in decision-making and rusty in tactics, just like an unsolved mystery. For example, facing the Australian Lions and Indonesian Tigers, the mistakes and fouls of Hu Huotao, Wang Haijian and other new stars are like a mirror reflecting their confusion in dealing with high-pressure, fast-paced matches. This phenomenon also exposes the inadequacy of the Chinese Super League in nurturing talent, the long-term over-reliance on foreign aid and veterans, so that the lack of local stars in the field of sharpening and growth of the soil.
Young players need the tolerance and patience of society on their way to growth. They need time to settle down, experience on the field of play, as well as valuable experience learned from failure. We can't erase their hard work because of a momentary lapse. Instead, we should embrace their growth with a more open mind, motivate them to draw strength from setbacks, and forge ahead through challenges. Only in this way will we be able to nurture the bright new stars of Chinese soccer.
Even though Ivankovic has had many ups and downs in his coaching career, his contribution to the development of young players is indispensable. We should not only look at his shortcomings, but also recognize his contributions. We look forward to seeing him perform even better on the field in the future and write a new chapter for Chinese soccer.
