China coach calls for balanced response as title drought continues

Jan 25 - China coach Antonio Vicente called for a balanced response to his team's 4-0 defeat by Japan in the under-23 Asian Cup final on Saturday as the nation missed out on a first continental title at any level for more than two decades.

China's hopes of breaking a drought that extends back to the 2004 under-17 Asian Cup were crushed in Jeddah when Go Oiwa's team retained the trophy they won in Qatar two years earlier.

"I'm not happy because when you lose a final it's impossible to be happy, but for me the most important thing is I am very proud of this team and my players," said Vicente, whose side had reached the final without conceding a goal.

"We have to be balanced. We have to understand the difference between football in Japan and China."

Chinese football has lived in the shadow of its more successful neighbour throughout the 24 years since the nation made its World Cup debut in 2002.

While Japan will be appearing at an eighth consecutive World Cup in June and July, China's list of achievements during that period is limited, and football has endured a major slump in the country despite a five-year spell of investment prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Encouraged by President Xi Jinping's desire to see China become a global football power, local companies spent huge sums luring high-profile foreign players to the Chinese Super League.

China also made significant investment in youth development and the sport was added to the national curriculum in an attempt to increase player numbers across the country.

However, the flow of funds has now ceased due to economic issues, resulting in the shuttering of numerous clubs including former Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande, while those that remain operate on vastly reduced budgets.

The development work, though, appears to be bearing fruit.

The run to the under-23 Asian Cup final came days after the Chinese Football Association announced the number of registered youth players had risen by nearly 25% over the last two years.

The number of coaches increased by 16,000 while those playing at amateur level went up by 95% year-on-year.

While that broader playing base will provide encouragement for Chinese football, Vicente is focusing on more immediate concerns.

"This is not the moment for thinking," said the Spaniard after the final. "You have to learn from the games you lose." REUTERS