China football great Fan Zhiyi says changes needed to ‘get back on track’ after stunning 3-1 loss to Vietnam
- The former Crystal Palace defender questioned whether Chinese football can rebuild in a lengthy Weibo post viewed more than 1.3 million times
- Fan and China head coach Li Xiaopeng hinted at major changes to how talent is developed and nurtured
Chinese football great Fan Zhiyi said the sport must embrace change to “get back on track” after China’s stunning 3-1 loss to Vietnam in a Fifa World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
In a lengthy statement on Weibo, viewed more than 1 .3 million times just hours after it was posted, Fan said Chinese football must rebuild from the ground up if it was to have any chance at success.
“Football has no national boundaries, but football needs a sense of ritual, cohesion, and inheritance,” he wrote. “The more critical question now is whether we can rebuild the legacy of football and allow others to step on our shoulders.”
Fan, widely considered a trailblazer in Chinese football, suggested more youth training work and greater understanding of the game.
“If through our youth training work, a group of children can know how to deal with people, know how to observe the ever-changing situation on the field, know how to make more rational decisions under pressure, or even just know how to be more rational about winning and losing, let them know winning is the goal, losing must be accepted, and the process must be enjoyed. The meaning of football is enough,” he wrote.
