Chinese FA President Cai Zhenhua "unveiled an ambitious plan" for China's national football team that he said "would make the team a consistent World Cup contender in two decades, and crack the global top 30 regularly," according to Sun Xiaochen of XINHUA.
His solution: "management reform and league development."
Just a month after the team missed winning a direct berth in the 2018 World Cup, the governing body "turned its eyes to joining world powers by pushing forward professional reforms in the game's management at the top level, as well as in the domestic league system."
Cai laid out the long-term goal for Chinese football, "highlighted in a national reform plan in March, to become a force to be reckoned with." He said,
"Although we are nowhere near the world top level now, hopefully we can qualify for the World Cup and reach the Round of 16 while improving the national team's world ranking to the top 30 in about 20 years, if the reform heads in the right direction." Tan Jianxiang, a sports sociology professor at South China Normal University, said, "It seems too radical and unrealistic for Chinese soccer to envision the high note. It's more practical and crucial to focus on implementing professional reform proposals." Former Chinese national player and head coach Gao Hongbo, together with China Sports Media Chair Li Ruigang -- who purchased media rights of the Chinese Super League for 8B yuan ($1.23B) over the next five years -- "joined the decision-making committee."
CFA Secretary-General Zhang Jian said, "Diversifying the staff composition will help balance the decision-making mechanism to reflect the actual needs of the game's development, both technically and commercially" (XINHUA, 12/19).
