Recently the New York Times posted the question on “Why does China lag far behind in soccer when it competes so aggressively in many Olympic sports?” and invited a number of experts to answer. Actually similar questions have been raised by Chinese netizens in various QA forums since the beginning of World Cup 2010 and below are a selection of ordinary Chinese people's answers.
Reality VS. Dream
In xncss.org.cn, a football fan asks: “Why is Chinese football so weak?” at the beginning of the World Cup. Below is the most satisfactory answer for his question:
中国足球为何烂泥扶不上墙？一个重要的原因也许是没有“市场退路”。由于没有“市场退路”，爱好者只能破釜沉舟，只能通过自己的努力，成为“猩猩”级人 物，才能杀出一条血路来，过上较为体面的生活。一旦失败，再回头已是百年身：青春期过了，先前百分百地投入足球运动，则百分百地影响了学习其他知识和记 忆，失败后的足球爱好者其社会谋生能力相当于一个小学生学历的成年人——因为市场不需要这些二三流的足球球员，他们就只能到足球以外的市场觅食！即是说足 球爱好者一旦失败，将陷入万劫不复的深渊，爱好足球风险之高可以以想见。
Why does Chinese football look so muddy? One of the most important reason is the lack of a real market. Football lovers can only act on their own capacity to become famous and enjoy a decent live. If they fail, they lose their youth and ruin their lives as their value has reduced to that of a primary school kid. The football field does not have space for grade 2 or 3 football players and they can only make their living outside the football field. The risk of football lovers is just too high.
163.com uses a set of photos, “When can we show our pride in the World Cup?“, to show Chinese people's disappointment towards Chinese football. In the discussion thread, many people believe that the society is too poor to develop a vibrant football culture:
房价那么贵，物价老在涨，压力那么大，我没其他心思：没有心思被感动，也没有心思感动，我只想着能多挣点钱，因为在中国钱才是万万能的：能有住的，能有吃的，能有尊严，能养活亲人。我没心思踢球，梦想和现实的差距谁来买单？
The housing property price is too expensive and inflation keeps raising. Too much pressure for us to focus on football game. Our thoughts are occupied with money making activities and cannot spare more feelings for football game. In China, money is the key to everything - for decent housing and food, for self-esteem. The price of the gap between dream and reality is too huge to pay.
Institutional problem
In SoSo, user Memories got frustrated about the football scene and asked a similar question:
中国足球怎么就这么差劲呢，连朝鲜都不如呢，我们这么大的中国，怎么就找不出22个踢足球好的人才呢？
How come Chinese football is so weak, even weaker than North Korea. Our country is so big, how can we fail to recruit 22 great football players?
The most satisfactory answer addresses the issue by referring to the institutional setting:
足球体制“`中国的足球 如果不改变现在体制 / 中国足球的现状大家都是知道的“““改变是很难的““只有从最基本开始改变“““中国足球的氛围到欧洲是很难的““`只有当足球成为中国的国球的时候““那时候才有可能的““`只有达到那种程度 才能一步一步考虑去争夺世界杯的冠军““否则都是扯蛋“““中国在国际的地位造成我们的球员很难出过门去踢比赛，很难有提高，不是来的外籍较量就能有提高，而是要自己的球员自己去提高的。
It is related to our existing system, if we fail to reform the football institution, it is very difficult to bring change to the current situation. Change has to be started from the most fundamental aspect. We need to turn football into our national sport in order to create an atmosphere like the football fever in Europe. Or else it is very difficult for us to step outside China and enter the international world, such as the World Cup. We cannot depend on matching with foreign team for improving our football players' standard. They have to improve their skill in local matches.
User, Wenwen family, elaborates on the institutional problem:
1、漠视现实，自以为是
中超联赛各队，除了某只不计成本的国企球队，实际都在亏损。中国足协却出台什么中超准入标准。什么盈利3000万等等。我 敢断言，中国球队没一只达到这些标准的。足协明知不可为，各队都是弄虚作假，偏偏定这么高的门槛。欧洲五大联赛的准入标准也没这么高，基本只有两条：1、 成绩合格 2、债务不超标
1. Unrealistic planning
Most of the football teams in the Chinese Football Super League, except from those supported by state institutes, are in deficit. Nevertheless, the Chinese Football Associate introduces the policy that requires members of the League to make 30 million yuan profit annually. I am sure that none of the team can make such profit and they have to fake their budget. Such standard is even higher than the European big 5 football leagues. They only have two basic requirements: 1. standard performance, 2. a limited amount of debt.
2、足协的“赌”
中国足协自2000年后就酷爱豪赌，先是豪赌世界杯，结果世界杯倒是参与了一 回，但中国足球却至少倒退了十年。2000年以前，好歹中国队还算是亚洲准强队，常年的亚洲老五。经此一赌，现在中国队充其量算亚洲2流，而且还是2流下 游。连8强赛都混不进去了。…
2. Football association's bet
The Chinese Football Association loves betting, they bet about the World Cup and managed to enter once. However, since then, the development of Chinese football have gone through a 10-year setback. Before 2000, Chinese football was a strong team in Asia and ranked number 5. After they lost the bet, we failed to enter the quarter finals….
3、鲁能的“嘴”
山东足球扰乱市场 秩序，逆市而上，本无可厚非，谁叫人家是国企，不计成本呢。但鲁能从总经理到球迷都是能吹的了。动不动就中国最强队，中国皇马之类的言谈。今年四大皆空…中国足球之所以不好，就是山东这样好大喜功，不愿自我反省的人太多了。
3. Shandong Luneng's boasting manner
Shandong's football has disrupted the market because they have strong state corporate support. Shandong Luneng's manager keeps saying that they are the strongest team in China, the Real Madrid in China. However, this year, they can't even enter the final four… The boasting manner of the Shandong football is so typical in the Chinese football scene. They don't reflect upon their failure.
4、体育总局的“令”
中国足球区别于其他国家最大的特点，就是足协并不能领导中国足球，足协上面还有体育总局这位大爷，没事就发一个莫名其妙的大令，足协的下官们，就德不管对错的执行下去。
4. Order from the Sport Bureau
The Football Association is not leading the Chinese football development, on its top is the Sport Bureau and the Association has to carry out whatever “order”, right or wrong, delivered to them from the Bureau.
7、政策的早令夕改
中国联赛的升降级改来改去就是明证。不知明年会不会再次宣布取消降级，可能性很大悠。以前联赛都快踢完了都敢改，何况明年联赛还没踢呢？
7. Policy changes
The ranking of the Chinese Super Football league keeps changing. It is yet unsure if the down grading system still exist next year, from the past experience, they can change the policy even during the Super match.
8、球迷的利益永远是无关紧要的
每年足协的政策都是先维护自己的利益，然后是俱乐部的利益。每次到最后都是损害球迷的利益。难道足协就怕球迷太多。
8. Disregarding football fans' interest
The policy of Chinese Football Association is to protect their own interest, followed by their clubs' interest regardless of football fans expectation. It seems that the Association does not want too many football fans in China.
Culture, fate and others
Apart from institutional explanation, there are cultural perspectives. Wise guy believes the problem is related with the nature / culture of being Chinese:
因为中国人不有外国人那么有激情 体力没他们好 没有他们团结
Chinese people are not as passionate as foreigners. And our physical strenght is not as good as them. Finally we don't have enough team spirit.
In another QA thread in SoSo there are more answers to the question:
Sean Faris said:
进了世界杯，上帝就哭了，为了让上帝开心，所以就进不了
God will cry when we enter the World Cup. In order to make God happy, we fail.
Dream talk makes 4 points:
1 中国 教练不行 没 别人那 经验 与 素质
2 中国 道德 品行 有 待 发展 黑哨太多 更别谈好的方面了!
3 球员 深入思想不够 且 踢球 并不尽全力去踢!
4 中国 足球的 长期 堕落 使得 国家 并不关心 中国 足球了!
1. The Chinese football couches are bad in quality and have little experience.
2. We are yet to develop Chinese people's virtue and morality. There are many deals in the dark…
3. Football players are not playing hard as they are side tracked by other considerations.
By Oiwan Lam
5. Chinese football has been doomed for a long period of time and the country does not care about it anymore.
