Song Kai, the chairman of the Chinese Football Association, has recently been inspecting the construction of China's grassroots football. According to domestic media reports, Song Kai is optimistic about the future of Xinjiang players and has given his three reasons.
Football is a competitive sport that places great emphasis on physical confrontation, and the physical conditions of Xinjiang people are among the top in the country. Song Kai once told a story: "He asked the coach which players could perform a somersault celebration after scoring, and the answer was that only the children from Xinjiang could do this challenging move."
In addition, Song Kai believes that Xinjiang players have two more advantages: 1) Xinjiang players have a very high level of passion for football; 2) The environment for playing football in Xinjiang is also excellent.
The media believes that with Song Kai's support and praise, the development of Xinjiang players will become smoother. In the future, Xinjiang players may become an important part of the Chinese men's national team. Currently, there is one Xinjiang international player in the national team, Bai Helamu.
In the U21 national team, there are five Xinjiang players, including Aifelding, Mutalipu, and Maiwulong. In the U16 national team, four players, including Abibula, are from Xinjiang, and Abibula is the core of the team. According to statistics, among the six national teams of various age groups, a total of 15 internationals are from Xinjiang.
On the Chinese Super League (CSL) field, there were a total of 25 Xinjiang players last season, distributed across 11 clubs, which can be described as widespread.
In addition to players, there is also a famous referee from Xinjiang on the CSL field - Mai Maitijiang. Last season, Mai Maitijiang officiated several key matches, and his professional abilities were recognized by the outside world.