FA Chairman Song Kai Encourages U National Team Players: Look at the Autobiographies of Son Heung-min and Cristiano Ronaldo, You Must Work Harder Than Others to Stand Out!

Recently, Chinese Football Association (CFA) Chairman Song Kai visited the Chinese U16 men’s football team competing in the Four Nations Tournament in Shenyang. He encouraged the national players using examples of stars like Son Heung-min and Cristiano Ronaldo, emphasizing that to stand out, one must work harder than others.

The following is the speech by Song Kai (Text source: Official website of the Liaoning Provincial Sports Bureau):

I am here on behalf of the CFA to visit everyone. I used to work here, with the office building nearby, and this field belongs to the Liaoning Provincial Sports Bureau. I watched yesterday’s match against Vietnam’s U16 national team, and it was well-played; first, I would like to commend and affirm you all. Our senior national team once lost 1-3 to Vietnam. Yesterday’s match, especially the second half, was excellent. Today, I came to encourage everyone, hoping that you will unite and work hard together. Our ultimate goal is still to perform well in Asian competitions. The Asian Cup group stage will be held in Dalian in October, and we aim to top the group.

In this Four Nations Tournament, we invited relatively strong teams—Vietnam, Uzbekistan, and Japan. Because we have played a series of matches with good results, many opponents in Asia are now actively seeking matches with us. This is a positive sign. Previously, the U19 men’s team defeated South Korea 2-0 and drew with Uzbekistan, making a significant impact in Asia. This indicates that we are competitive across age groups in Asia. You should be aware of this. Also, your goals must be high. Our physique, technical ability, and coaching staff are among the best in Asia. You must have confidence and contribute to the revitalization of Chinese football.

Tomorrow, we will face Japan. It’s an interesting phenomenon that Japanese coaches are leading our team against Japan. On October 26, 1987, China’s national football team defeated Japan 2-0 at the Tokyo National Stadium in the Olympic qualifying match for the first time entering the Olympics. At that time, none of you were born yet. Chinese football has had glorious moments, and I hope you can remember this history. Now, the country pays great attention to football and follows your matches closely. Everyone must put in 120% effort every day in training. Especially when you’re at your clubs, you should be stricter with yourselves. I heard that some players gained weight and their physical condition declined after returning, indicating a lack of strictness in daily requirements.

I just returned from Serbia. We have two young players there named Jiang Yixiang and Wan Xiang. Additionally, nearly 20 people are training in Serbia, all working hard. You will face many competitors. So, if you want to become a star, you need to work harder than others. I hope you read the autobiographies of Son Heung-min and Cristiano Ronaldo, see their self-discipline, and how they add extra training beyond regular sessions. To stand out, you need to work harder than others. I noticed our young player No. 10, who has excellent skills, clearly developed through rigorous training, not by dreaming. A Chinese entrepreneur bought a Dutch football club, and a child from our country trains there, having only one hour of practice a day, then nothing else. Later, he found additional training sessions. It turned out that local Dutch children also added extra training; no one skipped it. After training, whether finding coaches or teammates, remember this point.

For tomorrow’s match against Japan, I have one requirement: the ‘Five Dares’—dare to tackle, dare to dribble, dare to shoot, dare to fight, dare to win! I will be at the stadium tomorrow. Someone told me that after yesterday’s match between Japan and Uzbekistan, all players lay exhausted on the pitch. I hope you will do the same tomorrow. Treat tomorrow’s match as the Asian Cup final. Japan is a test; see if you measure up and how big the gap is. I hope you remember the ‘Five Dares’ and play a thrilling match with Japan.

Thank you, everyone.