On October 17, the “Learn and Transform into the Premier League” grassroots football exhibition took place at Beijing Workers’ Stadium, featuring former national team player Sun Jihai, who previously played for Manchester City in the Premier League. During the event, Sun emphasized the importance of patience in youth football training, stating that the focus should be on providing talented children with the most professional instruction available.
The exhibition showcased the成果 of training as 35 grassroots football coaches from China, who received specialized training from Premier League club coaches, guided 80 elementary school students from Beijing. Sun remarked that the Premier League’s experiences in grassroots football, youth training, coach development, and professional league operations could significantly benefit the advancement of football in China.
Since retiring, Sun Jihai has devoted considerable energy to football youth training. He reiterated that immediate results should not be the priority; rather, it is essential for talented children to receive the highest quality training. Moreover, he believes that youth training should also focus on education, alleviating parents’ concerns.
Before the grassroots exhibition, professional youth coaches from Premier League clubs like Leicester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Wolverhampton Wanderers conducted a three-day intensive training session for 35 Chinese coaches, enhancing their teaching capabilities. Notably, 10 of the trainee coaches hailed from the “Village Super” league in Guizhou, while the remaining 25 were physical education teachers and grassroots football coaches from regions including Shandong, Ningbo, Guangzhou, Sichuan, and Beijing.
The “Learn and Transform into the Premier League” project aims to promote cultural exchange between the two countries through sports, fostering creative sparks and rich collaborative possibilities through interaction and communication.
