China goes back to school – 20,000 of them – to develop its football legacy of the future

February 3 – China may be attempting to put the brakes on the spending of huge fees for foreign players, but there is no slow down in their domestic focus on specialist football programmes to train a generation that can compete on the world stage.

More than 20,000 specialist football schools are planned to open in 2017 as part of the government’s plan for football development.

The Xinhua News Agency reported that the Office for National Youth Campus Football reckons China already had 13,381 “special football schools” as of 2016, and 69 counties are piloting programmes for football in schools.

By 2025 the number of football schools is projected to reach 50,000. It is a little unclear as to what are ‘special’ football schools (ie elite academy-style set-ups), and how many are schools which previously did not play football but will do so in future.

The initiative is part of a government-driven national programme involving at least six central government departments in a task force to ensure football grows at a youth participation level throughout the country.

Wang Dengfeng, director of the Physical Education, Health and Art Department under the Ministry of Education (MOE) and also vice chairman of the China Football Association (CFA), has said that curriculums are being prepared for more than 360 training programs in primary and secondary schools. Coaches will be given more training and instructional video to raise the quality of coaching across the country.

President Xi Jinping, before he became president, said that he had “three dreams” for Chinese football: to qualify for the World Cup, host the World Cup, and win the World Cup.

Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1711636795labto1711636795ofdlr1711636795owedi1711636795sni@n1711636795osloh1711636795cin.l1711636795uap1711636795


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