Football giants

Chapter 698 The Forerunner

"Uncle Zhuang, there is a saying, I don't know if I should say it or not!"

Zhuang Mingyang was taken aback by Yang Huan's words, how could it be so serious?

Mr. Zhuang snorted twice, "The three of us are drinking and bragging here, talking when we have something to say, farting when we have something to say, and why are we still struggling. Could it be that you don't regard this place as your home at all?"

The old man's tone was a bit angry, but his words were very heartwarming.

"I'm sorry, Grandpa!" Yang Huan quickly apologized, he knew that what he said just now was a bit rusty.

"Actually, I don't want to say anything serious. I just want to say that we have made serious mistakes in the process of professionalizing football, just like the mistakes we made in many areas of reform."

Speaking of this, Yang Huan paused, and said clearly: "We are too superstitious about the market and professionalism!"

"What do you mean?" Zhuang Mingyang sensitively grasped Yang Huan's meaning.

In many domestic reforms in the past, the market was overly superstitious, which eventually led to many reforms becoming useless or even counterproductive. This has also triggered reflections in recent years.

Is it the same with football?
"There is no doubt that the league is very important, and professional clubs are also the trend of the times, but when the reforms were made, youth training should not be blindly pushed to professional clubs, because no investor would do such a thankless and stupid thing that is far from seeing returns!"

Yang Huan's words were a bit serious, so Zhuang Mingyang frowned when he heard this.

Mr. Zhuang nodded thoughtfully, obviously thinking about the deeper meaning of Yang Huan's words.

"League is just the appearance, it is basically the youth training system under the surface, that is the flesh and blood!"

These words are actually not new, but combined with Yang Huan's words just now, both Mr. Zhuang and Zhuang Mingyang suddenly realized.

"Throughout the ages, no matter what country or league, youth training has always been a business of losing money and making money. Even the four most developed and professional leagues in the world, you go and see. If UEFA deletes the quota for youth training tomorrow, I can guarantee that almost all the rich teams will close their youth training camps!"

"Why? Because they don't need it, because for them, investing so much money every year, but the players they train can't meet their own requirements, it's better to buy players who have worked so hard to train them."

"Money? I'm a wealthy family. I have money. I'm afraid I won't be able to buy players. I don't have the money to buy top stars. Can I buy semi-finished products? I bought them from your time and trained them for three years. You are my youth training, so why do I need a youth training camp?"

"Tradition? Heritage? Loyalty? Let me tell you, these are all grandiose-sounding words!"

After Yang Huan paused for a while, he saw that Mr. Zhuang and his son were listening carefully without any objection, so he decided to say enough.

"Spain's youth training has been very good in recent years. Everyone has their eyes on Barcelona's La Masia and Real Madrid's Castilla, but who has really understood and cared about it? As early as the 90s of last season, the Spanish Football Association began to launch the Spanish football youth training reform?"

"At that time, Spain was also determined to reform after the failure of the World Cup. According to the characteristics of the Spanish race, it determined the cultivation of technical talents, based on the concept of passing and controlling football.

"By the same token, Germany's youth training is closer. They also experienced the disastrous defeat of international competitions in the 90s of the last century. Football professionals headed by Beckenbauer and others began to study. After years of preparation, they began to promote the German youth training reform. It also launched a mighty youth training revolution with the power of the whole country."

"So we have seen that in recent years, German football talents have blown out, and outstanding stars such as Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller, Ozil, Gotze, and Reus have emerged."

"This is the case in Germany and Spain, isn't it the same in Japan? We only see the prosperity of the Japanese league, why don't we see that Japan and South Korea are promoting football youth training with the whole country? But what about us? There is only a league without youth training. It is like a castle in the air. It is crumbling. How can we talk about progress? How can we talk about development?"

When Zhuang Mingyang heard this, he felt suddenly enlightened and enlightened.

After seeing him let out a long breath, he looked at Yang Huan and nodded non-stop, "Yes, yes, I understand now that you said that, you are right, we did something wrong!"

There is nothing wrong with professional football itself, but without a solid youth training system to support it, rash professionalization and the entire youth training being pushed to the market are the main reasons for the current football predicament!
After all, Mr. Zhuang was very scheming. When he heard Yang Huan's words, he understood some things and immediately grasped the key link. "After hearing what A Huan said, the professional league is already irreversible. We can only move forward and cannot turn back. However, the youth training should be withdrawn, and the government should initiate the reform of the youth training."

Zhuang Mingyang also kept nodding, this matter can only be done by the government.

Because only the government has sufficient ability to coordinate the interests and resource allocation of education, land and other aspects.

To put it bluntly, relying on the Football Association alone, it is difficult to move an inch!
After hearing this, Yang Huan didn't say anything more, because he knew better than anyone else that Mr. Zhuang and Zhuang Mingyang were experienced politicians, and they knew how to operate in this way better than a layman like himself.

"Uncle Zhuang, in fact, I have already planned to hold a football youth training camp in China."

"Oh?" Zhuang Mingyang was a little surprised, he had never heard Yang Huan mention it before, "Let's hear it."

"I didn't plan to start this matter so early, but now, I think it should be started." Yang Huan said with a smile.

"You know, our Yang Group has two to three hundred commercial centers in the country, and there are countless real estate projects, which are also equipped with many well-known local schools, so, I mean..."

Zhuang Mingyang didn't wait for Yang Huan to finish speaking, his eyes lit up, and he blurted out, "Do you want to combine the youth training camp with a prestigious school?"

Yang Huan nodded, "Yes, we have the most professional youth training coaches. At the same time, we can also arrange time reasonably, and then hire tutors to ensure the players' cultural courses, because whether it is in Southampton or Atletico Madrid, we have always done this. We definitely have experience in this regard!"

Southampton attaches great importance to cultural courses. If the youth training players do not reach a certain score, they will be stopped training immediately.

Because the facts have proved that the development of modern football tactics is getting faster and more sophisticated, and the requirements for players' brains are getting higher and higher. It is no longer enough to simply kick the ball with their feet.

"All qualified players can enter the prestigious schools we cooperate with. This is a big advantage. I believe parents will be more accepting. At the same time, we will also promise that if the player performs well, we can arrange for him to go abroad for higher-level training, such as to Southampton, or to Madrid, or to Milan."

"In these places, we have cooperative schools. For example, we have cooperated with famous primary schools, middle schools and universities in Southampton. They often interact with our organization, and the coaches of their schools are all from our club."

Zhuang Mingyang understood what Yang Huan meant. Building such an industrial chain can resolve the concerns from parents to the greatest extent. Even if the young player is eliminated, he can continue to stay in a prestigious school and concentrate on studying, which is also a kind of comfort.

"Not only that, but the number of professional coaches and youth training coaches in China is too small at present, so I plan to hold coaching training courses in China, invite the most professional coaches to teach, improve the level of domestic coaches, and even if they are interested, we can also arrange for them to go to foreign youth training camps for internships!"

Yang Huan's move is a two-pronged approach, but the effect will definitely not be seen overnight.

But if you can persevere, I believe the effect will definitely not be bad.

"But I have a question!" Mr. Zhuang suddenly asked, "How to solve the problem of funds?"

Yang Huan smiled slightly and said: "Sponsors, I believe that there will be many companies interested in sponsoring such a meaningful event, and we have the club's brand as support. As long as we are determined to continue to operate, we will be successful."

Just kidding, for a company like Yang's Group, it is easy to spend some money casually for sponsorship, but the effect may not be inferior to spending a lot of money on advertising on major TV stations, which can be called high quality and low price.

Mr. Zhuang and Zhuang Mingyang looked at each other, and both felt that Yang Huan's idea was good and highly feasible.

This may not be a meaningful attempt for domestic football reform.

If the several clubs under Yang Huan's command can be successfully operated, is it possible to consider introducing more other European teams?

You know, these European teams are very willing to develop the Chinese market, and let them help improve domestic youth training and train domestic players. Isn't that great?

Of course, this is the same as the introduction of foreign capital back then. It must first consider all aspects clearly.

Therefore, it is undoubtedly a good choice for Yang Huan to be the pioneer.

"Okay, you can ask someone to draw up a plan for this matter, and I will help you check it out. I believe it should not be a big problem!"

Since even the old man agrees, Zhuang Mingyang feels that there should be no problem with Yang Huan's plan.

Yang Huan nodded, he will start to deal with this matter in the next few days.

"A Huan, a few months ago, the Spanish coach Camacho stepped down as the coach of the national football team, and now the higher-ups are also very concerned about the selection of the coach. You are so familiar with European football, what do you think?"

How do you look at it, in fact, do you want Yang Huan to recommend it, or use your personal connections to help the national football team choose coaches?

"Uncle Zhuang, frankly speaking, I don't think the current world famous coaches are useful to us."

"Oh?" Zhuang Mingyang was a little strange.

"Our ancients said it well, there are raging soldiers, and there are raging generals. There is another saying that one general is incompetent and exhausts the three armies, but this is different in the field of football."

"What's the difference?" Even Mr. Zhuang seemed curious and didn't understand.

"I remember that I had exchanges with some coaches. I asked very strangely why it was difficult for South American coaches to gain a foothold in Europe. The answer they gave me was that South American football generally lags behind Europe by more than ten years in terms of tactics."

When Yang Huan said this, he couldn't help smiling, "That is to say, the tactics that South America is playing now, Europe got tired of playing ten years ago, but in our country, I dare say, I don't know how many years behind Europe."

"So, even if we hire a famous coach with the most advanced tactical concept in the world, but we don't give him a player lineup to play this set of ideas, it will only be incompatible in the end. There are even many famous coaches who can't play with our lineup configuration at all, because they are too advanced and we can't keep up!"

It is indeed a bit hurtful for Yang Huan to say this, but it is the truth!
"Then you mean..."

"Don't blindly pursue famous coaches, only pursue those who are suitable for us, regardless of who you are interested in, as long as there is a need, in a word, I will do my best. As long as it is not forcibly poached, I believe there should be no problem!"

Zhuang Mingyang and his son suddenly laughed.

Yang Huan said this with full confidence. It can be seen that his connections and relationships in Europe are far beyond their expectations!
(End of this chapter)