Former Ajax, Feyenoord and FC Utrecht striker John van Loen spoke with the NOS in China where he is manager of the Huaaoqidi football academy . He gave an insight into Chinese football in terms of training and preparation and claimed the game in that respect in China is very much in it’s infancy.
- By James Rowe
Van Loen said, ”Chinese football is very much in it’s infancy in terms of apparatus. I asked for 50 balls because I am working with two other trainers we only received 30 balls. I also asked for big goalposts we received small goalposts so I had to use shirts and have jumpers for goalposts in such an instance.
”To give a training here in China is completely different than in Europe for example the players are playing with their phone when you are trying to explain something and the players are also distracted with the apparatus and wanting to make photos whilst I am conducting the training. I have to state the need for the players to pay attention to what is being said.
”In terms of the players having fun whilst training we have to kind of get it out of the players in terms of laughing and being happy during training and naturally and the end of training with always have a match with a winner and a loser and they have difficulty understanding such a concept.
”There is an awful lot needed to make China a top football country. We are here as pioneers to help but if you want to set up an academy then you need to have everything for example starting with good pitches, apparatus, and balls. The balls we used today were of a completely different standard to what we used to in Europe.
”If the set up is good here in China and you can prove that you have built a good academy with good quality pitches and apparatus then the growth of Chinese football could be very rapid indeed. China is used to rapid growth in all facets but in terms of football there needs to be substance behind the good intentions and ambitions they have.”
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