In an exclusive interview with Football News, the coach of the Chinese U19 national youth team, Djurdjevic, shared his coaching philosophy and feelings about Chinese football. He pointed out that although China has a large population base, this does not mean that it is easy to find the right talent to form a strong football team. Djurdjevic's views have sparked widespread discussion, especially in a country like China, with a population of 1.4 billion, where the discovery and development of football talent remains a complex issue.
Djurdjevic mentioned that in Europe, the difference in the distribution of players and the level of the league poses a relatively small challenge to the selection and employment of personnel. In China, however, this challenge has become particularly prominent. Due to the sheer size of the country, coaches and managers need to travel far beyond the borders to discover and develop talent. This not only increases the difficulty of player selection, but also puts forward higher requirements for the implementation of standards and principles. In addition, geographical differences also mean that there are different cultural atmospheres and values of football in different places, which has a subtle impact on the growth and development of young players.
Many variety shows often ridicule China's 1.4 billion people for not being able to find 11 players who can play well, although this statement is humorous, but it also reflects the practical dilemma of Chinese football in talent training. Djurdjevic pointed out that the population base is only one aspect, and what is more important is how to effectively identify and cultivate these potential talents. He believes that the development of football requires systematic planning and a large investment in infrastructure, rather than relying solely on a large population base.
Specifically, there are significant differences in the length of training in Chinese football, the quality of infrastructure, and the economic strength of different regions. These factors have a direct impact on the quantity and quality of the football population. In some economically developed regions, young players have more opportunities to receive high-level training and education, while in economically disadvantaged regions, the development of football is often limited. Therefore, how to achieve balanced development across the country and improve the overall level of football is a major challenge for Chinese football.
Djurdjevic's point emphasizes the reality that a large population does not equal a large number of talents. He believes that in order to truly improve the competitiveness of Chinese football, it is necessary to start from the basics, strengthen the construction of the youth training system, and improve the level of football infrastructure in various places. At the same time, it is also necessary to change the public's perception, not only to see the population base, but also to see the overall environment and conditions for the development of football. Only in this way can we see more Chinese players emerge in the international arena in the future.