Chinese authorities propose a military-style training system as way to revive ailing men’s national football side

With things seemingly going from bad to worse for men’s football in China, and amid salary disputes in the Super League and a string of bad performances that left the country’s World Cup campaign in tatters, authorities are stepping in.

During last week’s National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Gao Yanming, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, put forward a series of proposals to “revitalise” men’s football in the country.

Gao said the men’s game had got so bad, it needed to be addressed at a national level and called for the establishment of a “national football leading group” to review training methods, strategies and lift standards to an acceptable level.

He said this could be done in several ways, including taking inspiration from the military. Among Gao’s proposals is a “troop system” style of training to instil a sense of discipline and obedience, and create an environment where misbehaviour would not be tolerated.

His proposal included bans of up to three years for players who disobey management or misbehave, and doubled down on previous calls to ban tattoos outright, and hold players up as inspirational figures, including those from the under-21 and under-17 national teams.

“Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, my country has made great progress in all aspects, but the overall level of Chinese men’s football has not advanced, it has retreated,” Gao was quoted as saying in mainland media.

“Football is a mass sport. If China can’t become a big football country, it can’t become a football power. Football has its special requirements, that is, it must have a field. The state can build football fields according to the urban population density.

“Make special regulations, build more football fields, and strive to expand the football population base.”