Nurturing players key to soccer success

Iceland's impressive 1:1 draw against Argentina in the ongoing World Cup in Russia has stirred a heated discussion on how China can emulate the performance of the tiny Nordic island country. Qianjiang Evening News comments:

The discussion mainly focuses on three things: Iceland's population of only about 340,000; some of its national team members earning their living by doing other jobs; and the country's low average temperature not being ideal for playing soccer.

In contrast, China has a population of more than 1.3 billion; Chinese players' incomes, mainly from their clubs, can be compared with some of the top teams in the world but still the Chinese national team ranks between 80th and 90th in the world; and in general the climate in China is ideal for playing soccer.

But the Chinese people should also consider the following facts: Iceland has more than 300 soccer fields, more than 21,500 registered players and over 600 registered soccer coaches. And Iceland's soccer training program starts from childhood.

Even with its huge population, China only has about 8,000 registered soccer players, and although China strongly supports the development of soccer, people still think only children not good at studies play the sport.

And the corruption in soccer, from officials to players and referees, and the inflow of huge amounts of hot money have slowed the progress of soccer, as the clubs prefer paying huge amounts to recruit famous players from abroad to cultivating young players.

If China wants to learn from Iceland, it should first clean up its soccer sector, and stop seeking quick success and immediate profits. Only when children start enjoying playing the sport can China put soccer back on the right track of development.