Evergrande has been front and center of Chinese soccer over the past three years; especially since winning last year's Asian Champions League trophy.
To help overcome inadequate instruction and training facilities, the Ministry of Education will organize a group of experts to revise the current physical education curriculum for primary and secondary schools, giving soccer a prominent role.
Ambitious young soccer player from countries that are not major soccer powers can struggle to gain recognition from top European clubs.
On July 28, 1996, China trailed Brazil by a goal late in the semifinal of the women's soccer tournament at the Atlanta Olympics.
China holds the 333th, up two places, but slid to No 11, from the previous the 10th ranking, among Asian coutries in the latest FIFA rankings.
Only by strengthening its youth foundation can Chinese soccer hope to win a World Cup trophy, a former national captain and official said at the launch of a trophy tour in China.
Fan Zhiyi, one of 'the boys of 2002', wants to help chart plans for the future
China should focus more on developing interest among youth to produce outstanding players, Xi Jinping said after a Sino-German junior friendly.
Chinese President Xi Jinping's interest in soccer and concerns about the sport's development have helped him forge a man-of-the-people style that connects with the public.
China's youth football team from Zhidan in Shaanxi province lost to VfL Wolfsburg from Germany 0:2 during the China-Germany youth football friendship game, March 29, 2014. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan watched the match and met the players from China and Germany.
Sitting on his couch, Hao Haidong, the former top striker in Asia, speaks the same way he played in his heyday: with passion ... and straight to the point.
Chinese leaders' passion for and participation in sports has made them more approachable, compared with their usual image of being serious or unsmiling politicians. Many are not just fans but are also actively involved.
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