The news that Shanghai Shenhua striker Liu Ruofan, a substitute in the East Asian Cup, had not even been given a minute's chance to appear in the tournament has sparked heated debate among Chinese media and fans. Meanwhile, a La Liga club - Cadiz - is secretly watching him. It is reported that the La Liga team, which was nearly relegated last season, has scouted Liu Ruowan and is interested in recruiting him, and an invitation letter has been sent to Shanghai Shenhua. The invitation letter has been sent to Shanghai Shenhua FC. In view of the cooperation relationship between the CFA and La Liga, the invitation document has also been copied to the CFA.
Liu Ruofan has been left in limbo over this incident as he is playing with the national selection team for the East Asian Cup. Then, Shenhua official position on this matter and how? Recently, the reporter interviewed the management of Shenhua, he said that he supports the young international players to stay in the ocean, with a positive attitude, but at the same time also put forward their own conditions.
"Looking back to before 2002, we already had national players who played abroad and were able to establish themselves. However, with the decline in the national team's performance and the weakening of players' competitiveness in recent years, we have drifted farther and farther away from the mainstream European leagues. The Football Association has also realized this point, in order to promote the players to stay in the world, has made a lot of efforts, which we recognize. But we should also reflect on how to be considered a meaningful stay in the ocean, how to play its proper role, rather than using the youth of the players to bet on the future?" Shenhua executives cited examples of some previous cases of international players failing to go abroad, such as Artemisia Junmin, Zhang Xunzhe, etc., that these players did not reach the expected heights and did not achieve the desired results.
So, behind these failed cases of staying in the ocean, what problems should we think about? "Staying in the ocean is divided into two kinds, one is sent out by force, and the other is recommended and recognized by the other head coach. At present, it seems that it is not realistic to hope that foreign clubs take the initiative to poach our players. However, if it is only for the sake of having a group of players abroad, or having the experience of staying abroad, there is no need to send our core players out, as they already have the opportunity to play at home. If they go abroad, at least make sure they get enough games. If the players are stiffed to certain clubs just because of their relationship, the effect will be greatly reduced and they will probably be reduced to 'water cooler keepers' when they go out, which is extremely unfavorable to the players' growth." The Shenhua executive said.
It is reported that due to the partnership between La Liga and the Chinese Football Association (CFA), the Chinese side has been actively recommending international footballers to the outside world and providing match footage of Chinese international footballers, and Liu Ruofan was spotted by Cadiz precisely in such a context.
In response, Shenhua's senior management said, "If this is the case, I am truly proud and honored for Liu Ruofan. We only have one small request, that is, we hope that the relevant parties can pull the strings, so that the head coach of Cadiz personally communicate with us, to express the player's recognition and expectations, which is our attitude to treat the player responsible." Shenhua executives do not want this to be just the behavior of a department or individual of the opposing club, as it is the head coach who decides whether the player will play or not, so Shenhua would like to further confirm that Liu Ruofan has been recognized by the head coach of Cadiz.
"When young players stay in the world, they face two major challenges: one is to integrate into the team's technical and tactical skills and soccer culture; the other is the life and language barrier. Don't think that professional players are mature enough to take care of themselves. Those who don't know the success stories of Japan and South Korea may not be too aware of the fact that they send staff to take care of the players, at least in terms of life, and to give them guidance in terms of thinking, and Japan has been particularly meticulous in this regard." The Shenhua executive raised two major difficulties faced by Chinese players staying abroad.
He also added: "If we directly throw the players abroad and let them face it alone, there may be bad consequences. The West is an open society, and players may be subject to great shocks and temptations in their private lives. We cannot ask players to be all willows, and if something goes wrong in this regard, who will be held responsible? It is not true that there have not been any negative cases before, and the authorities concerned should know better than we do. Therefore, if you send a player out, you have to have a responsible person to accompany you for a long period of time. If the relevant departments bear the costs, Shenhua can consider sending a staff member to do a good job of logistical support services for the players who stay in the ocean. Sending players abroad to stay in the hope that they can go all out to face the competition and unfamiliar environment without worries." Shenhua executives said that this is not because Shenhua players are delicate, but the use of Shenhua's resources in Europe in-depth investigation, fully understand the experience of Japanese and Korean players and encounters proposed.
The Shenhua senior raised his own concerns: "In fact, over the years, there are often agents who say, give me your so-and-so players, I'm responsible for sending them abroad, I have a relationship with so-and-so club, I have a good relationship with so-and-so club's general manager or technical director, or so-and-so manager is a friend of mine. I laughed at all these words. Because these are typical Chinese thinking, thinking only for myself and not considering the position of the players."
"When you have connections yourself, you send players there, but no one has shown me any technical reports, no in-depth discussions with me about whether the clubs they intend to send them to really need the type of players we have, what kind of competition the players are going to face when they go there, and how competitive the players themselves are, and what percentage of them have any hope of playing. People can say whatever they want, but statistics don't lie. Therefore, if the relevant departments of the FA really think highly of our players, and for the players to go to the target, then please give Shenhua a technical analysis report, at least let us know, to send a player to a certain team, is completely out of professional technical and tactical considerations, who can not guarantee that the player 100% have a position, but at least more than half of the feasibility of it, right? It may not always work out, but it can't be no possibility at all, so isn't the significance of the player going out greatly diminished?" Shenhua senior not without concern.
Liu Ruowan vanadium played a lot of games in Rongcheng (on loan) in the past year and improved significantly. Now he is back to Shenhua, also highly expected by the club. Shenhua executives said in an interview with the newspaper that for players in his age group, it is undoubtedly more crucial to play more high-level matches and accumulate more experience in real battles. Go abroad, even if it is a high-level European league, only training not to play games, may be better to stay in the Chinese Super League to play games. Therefore, Shenhua senior management hope to send young players abroad, is based on rational, scientific basis, so that it makes sense.
Of course, it is undeniable that from the club itself, Shenhua also has difficulties. With the opening of the second phase of the tournament, as well as the drawbacks of Shenhua's inability to attract reinforcements, Liu Ruowan van for Shenhua, is by no means dispensable players, once he left the team, Shenhua will inevitably have to replenish the players, and therefore must be early planning.
