From a prodigious talent to facing professional challenges, Bugalahang's story mirrors the tragedy of a "thousand-mile horse not meeting its Bo Le," but behind this lies not just an individual's plight, but a reflection of the deep-seated issues within Chinese football. Unpaid wages, team disbandments, and a lack of avenues for redress—these things that sound like anecdotes have become the stark reality of Bugalahang's brief career. Bugalahang came from Evergrande's youth training ranks, where he was one of the key young players being groomed. His talent once shone brightly. As a midfield core player, he not only had excellent ball control but also a keen sense of the game and dribbling skills, which made people hopeful about his future. At that time, Bugalahang was seen as the hope for Evergrande and even Chinese football. Everyone believed that given time, he would become a pillar of the Chinese football scene. Unfortunately, while dreams are full, reality is bony. In 2019, he joined Evergrande's first team, expecting it to be the highlight of his career, but little did he know it would mark the beginning of his difficulties. In 2021, Evergrande's financial crisis began to show, with many players' wages being withheld. Bugalahang was not spared, and two short years later, he was forced to transfer to Shijiazhuang, seeking new opportunities. After joining Shijiazhuang, Bugalahang finally became a regular starter, playing 15 games for the team. His stable performance seemed to have finally found him his place. However, fate had other plans—Shijiazhuang's wage arrears were worse than Evergrande's. After working hard for…

"Is there hope for this national football team?" When the new list of the national football team's training camp was released, everyone couldn't help but ask this question. Reform is a "standard action" for every coach after taking office; but this time, the large-scale adjustment of the 32-man list plus the first selection of naturalized players has made the news about the national team heat up faster than the heating in winter. On one side, veterans are being abandoned, and newcomers occupy more than half of the territory; on the other side, young goalkeepers are emerging, and naturalized player Hou Yongyong's appearance as the biggest highlight. Is this reform a new hope that is about to burst forth, or is it a high-risk "gamble"? As an onlooker, we may not be able to come up with an answer immediately, but seeing through the intentions behind it is still crucial. Looking at this carefully selected list of 32 people, there is a particularly eye-catching number: an average age of 26.7 years old. Compared to previous lists exceeding 28 years old, this training team is indeed much younger. Among them, there are also 11 post-00s youngsters selected, which means that "renewal and replacement" is not just talk, but real action has been taken. Younger has always been a hot word in recent years of national football reform, but truly implementing it involves no less maneuvering than on the field. Veterans do have match experience, but young people's speed, physical fitness, and combat effectiveness are unmatched by veterans. Coach Ivanovic seems to understand…

This World Cup qualifier match was nothing short of an awakening battle for the Chinese team. It's not just about winning against Bahrain but also about regaining the confidence of some fans, particularly in terms of tactical and mental shifts. This transformation, as highlighted by Dong Lu, is a critical step for Chinese football to emerge from confusion and find its direction. Despite Bahrain's dominance in possession, China managed to break the deadlock with a timely counter-attack in the second half, securing a 1-0 victory. This win brought China two consecutive victories in the qualifiers and pushed them up to fourth place in their group. Though the statistics may seem modest, this victory is far from ordinary; it signifies a strategic and mental awakening. Dong Lu described the tactical shift in this game as an "awakening." He suggests that Chinese football has often been trapped by a culture of face, overly focusing on ball possession and field dominance, leading to overconfidence or self-deception. In this match against Bahrain, China finally shed its past baggage and chose a more practical and pragmatic path. Specifically, China opted for a conservative approach: abandoning possession in favor of defense and direct long passes. This decision might appear passive at first glance but is, in fact, a pragmatic one. Facing a strong opponent like Bahrain, attempting to compete head-on for possession could have led to a passive situation. Instead, by relinquishing the ball to strengthen defense and focusing on creating opportunities through counter-attacks, China ensured defensive stability while posing threats through swift attacks. Some fans…

Can youth rejuvenation save the national football team? The latest 32-man roster for the national football team has just been announced, sparking heated discussions among fans. This list breaks with the past tradition of "veterans in charge," with a full 10 veterans missing from the national team; on the other hand, it boldly employs 8 new faces who have never been selected for the national team before, causing many to exclaim, "The national team is getting serious this time." However, can such a gamble on youth really turn things around for the national team in the upcoming top 18 matches? Is it bold innovation or just leaving things to fate again? This roster reform, put bluntly, is the national team taking a gamble - betting that youth can bring vitality while having to face the risk of inexperience. The addition of 8 newly selected players gives this list a lot of "strangeness." It's clear to everyone that although these players lack experience in major international competitions, they are undoubtedly standouts in domestic leagues. Take Jian Tao as an example; this goalkeeper has been called a "penalty-saving expert" in the league over the past two seasons, striking fear into opposing forwards. Another example is Wu Shaocong, who at 22 years old relies on his agile footwork and tenacious tackling to become the most stable link in the defensive line. With their selection, people finally see a glimmer of hope: young players can also carry the flag and prove that they are not just "show-offs." What is most noteworthy, however, is the…

The two World Cup qualifiers in 2025 are crucial matches against strong opponents Saudi Arabia and Australia, which can be described as life-and-death battles. If the Chinese national football team fails to win these two games, they may have to give up their chance to qualify. However, if everything goes smoothly, there might be a new face in the lineup of the national team in 2025, who is urgently needed and provides targeted reinforcement. On December 5, 2024, photos shared on social media showed that the player had arrived in China. He had previously submitted materials to apply for a change of nationality. Whether he can replace the national team in the game will depend on whether he meets the tactical needs of the national team coaching staff. Many people are wondering if the Chinese team could perform better with him. In 2025, Chen Xuyuan is serving a life sentence, and Li Tie has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Fans know that the losses caused by these two individuals to Chinese football are immeasurable in monetary terms, and the impact on the morale and confidence of Chinese football is unknown how many people will have to pay for it in time and effort. 2025 marks the 31st year of professionalization in Chinese football, entering its fourth decade. The anti-corruption bell has sounded, and Chinese football, after "scraping the bones to treat the wound," is still betting big on the World Cup. From the current situation, the Football Association believes that the Chinese team is still very capable of…

Recently, Uemura Kenichi has been talking a lot in Japanese media FNN. He has been doing well with the U16 national team in China, and during his chat with Japanese media, he shared many thoughts about Chinese football, which makes people feel that he genuinely wants to help the development of Chinese football. In the world of football, Uemura Kenichi's name is gradually becoming known by more people. Unlike other foreign coaches who seem aloof, he speaks down-to-earth and shares his thoughts candidly. He speaks very honestly, saying that if he had the opportunity to lead the Chinese national team, he would definitely go all out and not hold back. This attitude warms the hearts of many Chinese fans. This is quite interesting because previously, Choi Kang-hee from South Korea directly rejected the invitation from the Chinese team, making Uemura Kenichi's attitude appear particularly sincere in comparison. During his time coaching in China, Uemura Kenichi has encountered many difficulties, but the Chinese Football Association has always supported his work, which deeply moved him. He believes that Chinese players have good physical conditions and are serious when executing tactics, which are all positive aspects. However, he also discovered some problems, such as Chinese players sometimes being too rigid and not good at independent thinking, which does need improvement. Uemura Kenichi is currently trying to help the players change this issue, hoping they can freely express their own characteristics. In the Asian football circle, there are significant differences in coaching styles between different countries, and Uemura Kenichi's coaching style is very Japanese.…

Translation of the article content into English: When you think the Chinese Super League (CSL) is already chaotic enough, who would have thought that the next big show would be a desperate battle like this. Originally, everyone was looking forward to the arrival of the new season, but at this moment, the focus is not just on the field. Recently, the limelight in the Chinese football world has been completely taken away by a notice from the Football Association - the Football Association notified Liaoning Ironman, the fourth-place team in the China League One (CFA), to prepare for promotion to the CSL! What's going on here? Has the CSL suddenly become a substitute bench? Many fans were stunned upon seeing this news: what exactly is happening? What happened in the CSL that made the Football Association have to make a replacement arrangement in advance? Let's put aside the game itself and focus on this message: the Football Association notified the CFA teams to prepare for replacement. What does this mean? If there are three CSL teams facing the risk of dissolution this season, it's simply thunderous! Imagine a team that was playing well suddenly facing the dilemma of having no home ground, no players, and even the possibility of being forcibly disbanded. The process of the CSL's reorganization is really unpredictable. So what's really going on behind this? To put it bluntly, apart from the football matches, there are more practical problems that have slowed down the progress of the entire season. The CSL should be the top league in…

Chinese Football's Hope: Song Kai Personally Confirms Japanese Coach, Abandoning Local Coaches!‌ The chairman of the Football Association, Song Kai, recently revealed in an interview with Japanese media that the first Japanese head coach of the U16 national team, Kamikage Kenichi, was personally confirmed by him. He is full of expectations for learning from Japanese football in the future and believes that Kamikage Kenichi represents the hope for Chinese football. From many details, it can be seen that Song Kai is indeed the most hopeful chairman of the Football Association we have seen in recent years. Firstly, he is very bold. Previously, many national teams were controlled by some local veteran coaches, such as Cheng Yaodong, who liked long-term training camps and was always an important candidate for the head coach of various national youth teams. Even when selecting foreign coaches, the Football Association rarely dared to choose a Japanese head coach. Now, Song Kai directly confirms Kamikage Kenichi to coach the Chinese U16 national team, and not just one; the U15 head coach, Minami Shima, is also Japanese. This courage and boldness are indeed very commendable. Secondly, Song Kai is really modest and open, willing to learn from foreign countries to overcome them. In the interview, he said that he decided at that time that he must learn from advanced football countries, so he invited many Japanese coaches to coach in China. He said that Japanese coaches are meticulous and tenacious, which is what he values. These advantages are indeed very suitable for China's football youth training, which is…

In the midst of the opening of the Chinese football transfer market, Shandong Taishan has announced the first significant news of the 2024 winter transfer window: their main central defender, Marcel, who has been with the team for half a year, will leave after his contract expires. This seemingly ordinary transfer news reflects the careful consideration between competitive pursuits and practical considerations within Chinese football clubs. Marcel's connection with Taishan began during the summer transfer window of the 2024 season. At that time, this foreign aid with a mere 50,000-euro valuation joined Taishan, with hardly any fans optimistic about his future. In today's Chinese football environment, such a valuation is not even enough to attract attention in the China League One. However, professional football fields are never short of unexpected surprises, and Marcel is one of the best examples. After representing Taishan, Marcel broke the doubts with his actual performance. He displayed a solid foundation in defense, repeatedly thwarting the opponent's attacks. Moreover, he also contributed impressive goals in attack, showcasing the comprehensive qualities of a modern center-back. Such performances quickly won the recognition of Shandong fans, with many hoping the club would renew his contract. However, professional football is never just about emotional considerations. As the 2024 season draws to a close, Marcel's contract is set to expire on December 31. At this critical moment, he has been waiting for the club's renewal notice, hoping to continue playing for Taishan in the next season's Super League and FA Cup events. However, what awaited him was a disappointing outcome—the club…

Shandong Luneng's performance in the 2024 season can be described as disappointing. As a traditional powerhouse in Chinese football, the team not only finished fifth in the league, missing out on the AFC Champions League qualification, but also lost to Shanghai Port in the FA Cup final, losing their last chance to qualify for the AFC Champions League. Such results are undoubtedly a heavy blow to an ambitious team, and it can be said that they have experienced a complete "four empties" season. In this context, the team should have made a decision on the future of head coach Choi Kang-hee. However, due to the oversight at the time of signing, the contract did not include clauses related to performance, which put Shandong Luneng in an awkward situation. If the club were to unilaterally terminate its contract with Choi Kang-hee, it would have to pay a high breach of contract fee of 40 million yuan. This huge expenditure is no small amount for any CSL team, especially under the current tight economic environment in Chinese football. This thorny issue not only affects the team's daily operations but also seriously hinders the preparations for the new season, especially in terms of transfer planning. To avoid further passivity, the club has taken a series of measures to deal with this situation. First, they made a key decision: to take back Choi Kang-hee's transfer rights and firmly grasp the decision-making power for new season transfers in the hands of the club. More importantly, Shandong media reported that the club is actively promoting the…