Devoted Benitez not about to desert Dalian

Rafa Benitez insists he is staying with Dalian Pro for the long haul and is determined to leave a lasting legacy at the club that transcends any titles he might win.

The cessation of a team sponsorship deal with Yifang－a major shareholder in Dalian-based Wanda Group－led some observers to speculate that the former Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid boss could cut short his stay at the ambitious Chinese Super League club.

However, despite setbacks both off and on the pitch, Benitez revealed in an interview published by Spanish newspaper Marca this week that he remains as enthusiastic as ever about the Dalian project.

"I'm not thinking of coming back now. We want to develop this Chinese project," Benitez told Marca in Spain, where Dalian Pro is training during the CSL offseason, which has been extended due to the coronavirus outbreak.

"Before coming here, offers came from different sides, but they did not meet the conditions we were looking for. We could have gone to other countries.

"Also there was a lot of money from many leagues. But they were teams that did not have the capacity to compete, to win. Here, at least, in addition to a good contract, there is a project where no one demands you to win titles, but to improve and leave something for the future, a legacy. And we do that."

After arriving last July, Benitez successfully steered Dalian away from the CSL relegation zone. A late-season slump saw it finish ninth in the 16-team division, despite counting ex-Napoli playmaker Marek Hamsik and former English Premier League striker Salomon Rondon among its ranks.

However, the opportunity to work with Chinese players and build a foundation for new generations of domestic talent to thrive is keeping Benitez committed to the Dalian cause, even amid persistent speculation linking him with a return to England or Spain.

"People wonder why Chinese soccer does not grow and it is because here the kids start playing at age 13.They are late in that aspect," Benitez said.

"I teach children, train them. I have always liked teaching. Not only doing repetitions, but explaining why we do this, why we do that. The players assimilate it and grow with knowledge.

"In Dalian, I focus my work from that perspective. We have a responsibility that is not limited only to the first-tier team, but to try to nurture more players. You have to adapt to what you have."

For now, Benitez will continue training Dalian's first team in Spain as the club awaits an update on the coronavirus-delayed start to the CSL season. Dalian elected to keep its reserve, women's and youth teams at home as a precaution due to the outbreak.

"We have daily control of everything: temperature, washing our hands ... We are training normally because there is no sick player or anything," said Benitez.

Striking a chord

Benitez's assessment of Chinese youth soccer struck a chord with fans, with the Marca interview prompting tens of thousands of netizens to share stories on Chinese social media about their struggles to find time to play and the various reasons that led them to quit the sport they love. The pressure of academic life and the lack of a soccer culture in China were among the most common reasons cited.

From the perspective of parents, allowing kids to sacrifice studying to pursue their dreams on the pitch is a massive gamble that for the vast majority will not pay off. The odds on youngsters making it to the CSL are long enough, let alone becoming the next Wu Lei.

The inadequacy of the nation's youth soccer development has long been a hotly debated topic, with the issue back in the spotlight again recently as professional clubs struggle to make ends meet due to their over-reliance on outside investment and importing foreign players.

"How did foreign clubs grow? They started from a pitch, a coach and youth training," Wang Qian, the deputy general manager of the Guangdong Southern Tigers, told Xinhua recently.

"Nurturing players eventually generates income and then they can form teams, starting in low-level leagues. But many Chinese bosses bought a first-tier team straightaway and then subsequently invested in youth training.

"Before the youth training works out, the first-tier team might have already collapsed," added Wang, whose club was last month forced to quit the second-tier China League One due to financial problems.

In line with Benitez's observations, numerous national initiatives are focused on getting kids playing as early as possible.

According to the Ministry of Education, over the last five years a total of 27,059 primary and middle schools have provided at least one soccer class each week for over 20 million students.

Thirty-eight pilot zones for school soccer reform have been established, and 160 counties or districts have been selected as pilot areas for promoting the sport on campus. By the end of this year, another 3,000 kindergartens will be selected as youth soccer hubs.

On the professional side, CSL teams are required to register at least three under-21 players in their 2020 season squads; in the second and third tiers that quota is set at two and five respectively.