According to the Chinese Football Association (CFA), from 1990 to 1995, 650,000 youngsters registered as Chinese men's footballers, reaching all-time highs. Today there are only 30,000. Football schools have also decreased from more than 4300 to about 20. CFA Vice President Yang Yimin disclosed this information during a speech at a seminar on national youngsters' football.

In retrospect, decision-makers made mistakes on the development of youngsters' football after the professional reform of Chinese football. At the beginning of the reform they neglected to cultivate teenage reserve forces housed in local amateur football schools. In this way, they abandoned an important channel that could nurture teenage talents. Moreover, they did not pay enough attention to the teenage players academic studies. This caused parents to worry about their children's future.

In recent years, decision makers haven't directed proper support toward local football schools, thus causing a severe lack of footballers. Even worse, when the professional reform began decision makers forced the professional clubs to shoulder the responsibility of cultivating young footballers. This practice is divorced from reality. Some football schools are over-commercialized with bad management and employ mediocre coaches.

"Chinese football has no chance if decision makers don't pay sufficient attention to the teenage footballers." Yang said.

(China.org.cn by Li Xiaohua November 22, 2007)