Feature: Football fever ignited in China

Chinese people love football, though their national team seldom makes excellent performance. European matches drag the fans to screens, but more youngsters play balls on pitches or in blocks.

The beautiful game aroused the Chinese people's confidence again when the national team beat Qatar 2-0 in their last Group C match on March 29 and fought their way into the final round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers.

It's the first time for the Chinese team to reach such a high level since China's maiden appearance in the 2002 World Cup finals. Now the hope for another World Cup attendance is sparked in the country.

China was drawn into Group A of the final round with Iran, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Qatar and Syria on Tuesday. The top two finishers will qualify directly while the third finisher will have to play its counterpart in Group B to get a chance to face the fourth finisher of the CONCACAF qualifiers for a spot at the global finals.

The head-to-head results show that South Korea and Iran boast overwhelming advantage over China which almost equal with Uzbekistan and Qatar and only lead over Syria.

Though it does look like a tough mission ahead of the Chinese team, which secured a spot in the last 12 in a dramatic way, the Chinese people's support to the national team has never been dwindling.

STRIVING FOR WORLD CUP FINALS

Li Shuyi, the executive deputy director at the inter-ministerial joint conference office specializing in the country's football development, believes there is still a long way to make virtual progress in the sport.

Calling for a world-class backup system in the Chinese national team operation, Li said, "We need to have not only professional players, but also professional supporting staff for the national team."

"We need to collect and analyze more match information and have our players' physiques guaranteed. So a professional supporting team is quite necessary to ensure the national team running well in the forthcoming competitions," he noted.

"A consensus between clubs and the Chinese Football Association (CFA) must be maintained in building the national team. Players are engaged in clubs training and league matches all year round. Playing for the national team is just a small part for professional players, so the clubs are encouraged to reward their players who are selected into the national team which can not provide them with the equivalent payments," added Li.

Chinese Super League (CSL) company chairman Ma Chengquan acknowledged that the five-year contract of the league broadcasting rights worth eight billion yuan (1.25 billion US dollars) helps the clubs establish confidence in the league development.

Obviously, the clubs will receive much more dividend in the next five years supported by the lucrative contract. Ma promises to set up a reasonable league agenda in support of the national team's training and preparation for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

"Of course, we need to keep the league running normally, and this won't set back the national team buildup," Ma said.

NATIONAL EFFORTS BEHIND FOOTBALL

Chinese football has gone through remarkable reforms since last year. The CFA was separated from the State General Administration of Sports. The CFA will enjoy more self-governance on financial, personnel management and international exchange freedom.

"The CFA should establish the restrictive and coordinated system among policy making, executive authority, and supervision," Li suggested.

China has embarked on the youth football development program, aiming to revive grassroots football. According to the plan unveiled in March last year, the number of the schools specializing in football will expand from 5,000 to 20,000 by 2020 and further increase to 50,000 by 2025.

Those schools should arrange at least one football class each week.

"This requires a large number of coaches and teachers," said Wang Dengfeng, Director of Department of Physical, Health and Arts Education of Ministry of Education of China. "Also, we need to have enough football pitches."

Li endorsed the measures on pushing forward the football population, especially among youngsters.

"That requires the support and participation from more sectors of the society, not only the CFA and Ministry of Education," Li stressed.

German football coach Eckhard Krautzun, who had guided Chinese U-19 national team in 2005, told Xinhua last month that he believed the Chinese football would probably enter the top five in Asia, supported by its huge population, financial investment and outstanding organization.

Spaniard Gregorio Manzano, the coach of CSL club Shanghai Greenland, said that the development of youth football was the initial step for the country's football rejuvenation. "More patience is needed now and we'll see a revitalized Chinese team in the future," he said.

NOT JUST FOR LUCK

China locked a berth in the final round of Asian qualifiers after they beat Qatar in their last group match and thanks to a series of favorable results from other groups at the same time. But the seemingly accidental advancement came not just for the sake of luck.

China had been absent from the final phase of World Cup Asian qualifiers since 2004. The entry this time resulted from the country's ambitious football reform.

China unveiled a plan in March last year to improve the country's status on the world football map. The plan aims at building up effective management, more professional clubs and top-level leagues, strengthening the national teams, and promoting the grassroots football.

"The footballers cherish their professional careers, while the clubs are willing to pay the players decently," Li said. "The Chinese football is not competitive enough internationally now, but we must set a goal and a pragmatic agenda to follow up."

The CSL clubs had spent an unprecedented 317 million euros during the winter transfer window to sign top footballers in the world and the league now is much more competitive and attractive to fans.

"Clubs' progress will lead to a stronger national team," Li said. Enditem