The recent national football team is really mixed. Did you hear that? Our head coach Radonic Jankovic has confirmed his departure due to poor performances in the Asian Cup. As soon as this news came out, I had a lot of mixed feelings. Seven months later, it felt like it was just beginning to be a bit of an eyebrow, and it ended like this, which was really a bit surprising and regrettable.
But in the final analysis, the problem of the national football team is far more than just changing coaches. Our problem is the foundation, which is the academy. Jankovic's departure may be an opportunity for us to re-examine our youth system. The words of the former coach of the national football team, Mi Lu, on Weibo, I think are quite moving. He mentioned the importance of youth training to lay a good foundation for the future. This is something that we have neglected for too long.
I saw that the Football Association made a big move this time, directly inviting Duye Djurdjevic from Serbia to be the head coach of the U20 national team, and not only that, but also to be responsible for the construction of the U15, U16 and U18 youth leagues. It gave me a glimmer of hope. Djurdjevic's results in the youth team are still very good, and leading the team to the quarterfinals of the Asian Games shows that his coaching ability can stand the test.
What's more, the intensity of this youth training reform is, to some extent, unprecedented. The determination of the Football Association is evident in the fact that they want to solve the problem at the root of the problem. It's a long-term process that can't happen overnight, but at least we started and started working in the right direction.
As we all know, if Chinese football wants to become truly strong, it is far from enough to introduce a few foreign coaches and a few naturalized players. What we need is systemic, fundamental change. This includes the improvement of the youth training system, the training mechanism of young players, and the popularization of football culture. It all takes time, patience, and more importantly, perseverance.
Now, with the arrival of Coach Djurdjevic, I see it as a new beginning. Although his annual salary is not as good as Jankovic, in my opinion, it doesn't matter. What matters is whether he can lead the growth of our young players and whether he can lay a solid foundation for the future of Chinese football.
As an ordinary football lover, my expectation for the national football team is actually very simple, that is, to see progress and hope. I hope that coach Djurdjevic can lead the national football team out of the predicament, I hope that our youth training can cultivate more excellent players, and I hope that one day, we can have a place in world football.
Finally, we, as fans, should also give more understanding and support. No change will happen overnight, and the same is true for football. Let's look forward to a better tomorrow for Chinese football.