Can the national football team ask veterans to give advice, can it help impact the World Cup?
The Chinese Football Association made a big move and actually invited a group of football veterans around 80 years old to give advice to the head coach of the national team, Ivankovic. What can these old men bring to the national football team? Do they want to rely on their experience to help the national football team impact the World Cup? To be honest, my first reaction was a bit skeptical.
The elders gathered to discuss the national football plan
On July 24, Song Kai, chairman of the Chinese Football Association, personally presided over this unique meeting. The participants in the meeting were all well-known figures: Xu Genbao, who is known as the "godfather of China's youth training", Jin Zhiyang, who once coached the national security team, and Li Yingfa of Northeastern University. These old men are all about 80 years old, and I don't know if they can keep up with the rhythm of football now.
The main content of the meeting was to make suggestions for the upcoming World Cup Asian Qualifiers round of 18. Speaking of which, the history of the national football team's impact on the World Cup is really embarrassing. The scoring error in 97 directly caused the national football team to miss the World Cup. There is also the infamous "Black Three Minutes", which is still heart-wrenching to think about. Did we invite these veterans this time to learn from our failures?
Can the experience of the veterans come in handy?
To be honest, I am skeptical about the effectiveness of this meeting. Although these old men are experienced, their understanding of modern football may not be up to date. Football tactics and training methods have changed dramatically, can their experience still be used?
The results of these veterans who led the team back then were not very good. If they were really that good, they would have led the team to the World Cup that year. Isn't asking them to guide them now to say that "losers warm each other"?
Having said that, after all, these old men have watched Chinese football come step by step. They have a deep understanding of the characteristics of Chinese players and the development process of Chinese football. They can provide Ivankovic with some unique insights that will help him better understand the current situation and problems of Chinese football.
Will the patriarchs be able to bring new ideas to the table?
While I am skeptical about the effectiveness of this meeting, I have to admit that these elders do have some valuable lessons to share. For example, they have experienced the lessons of those failures first-hand and know which pitfalls can no longer be stepped on.
Mr. Xu Genbao once said: "We must sum up the lessons of the past and not repeat the mistakes of the past." This makes a lot of sense. If we can learn from our past failures and avoid repeating the same mistakes, it will also be an improvement for the national football team.
Moreover, although these veterans are old, their love and dedication to football will not change. Their spirit may be able to inspire and motivate the young players of today. After all, football is not only about technique and tactics, but also about a spirit and attitude.
What is the future of the national football team?
In the final analysis, the problem of the national football team cannot be solved by a meeting of a few old men. The problems of Chinese football are systemic, and it is necessary to start with youth training and reform the entire football system.
Nor can we completely deny the significance of this meeting. At the very least, it shows the determination of the Chinese Football Association to change the status quo. Their willingness to humbly learn from the older generation is something to be affirmed.
Attitude alone is not enough. The key is to truly put these experiences and suggestions into practice. If it's just a meeting, a photo shoot, and that's it, then it's really more form than substance.
Looking forward to a new breakthrough in the national football team
To be honest, as an ordinary fan, I am still a little worried about the future of the national football team. We have experienced too many disappointments and setbacks over the years. Every time the World Cup comes, watching teams from other countries sweat on the field, while we can only sit in front of the TV as spectators, there is always an indescribable sense of loss in our hearts.
I still hope that this meeting will bring about some changes. Even a little bit of progress is good. After all, Rome was not built in a day, and the rise of Chinese football also takes time and patience.
We look forward to a new breakthrough in the national football team, and look forward to one day, we can also see the Chinese team in the World Cup. Although this dream seems far away, as long as we don't give up, there will always be a day when it will come true.