Soccer Daily disclosed that coach Jia Xiuquan returned to the capital determined to devote himself to youth soccer training after witnessing the passion at the Asian Cup final. Now, he has joined hands with Tongji International Football Academy to build a training base.
This summer, the investor of a Chinese League One club wanted to ask Jia to come out, and personally went to Beijing to invite him for an interview. In the face of this eager invitation, Jia after careful consideration, politely declined the invitation, and even turned off his phone for three days to show his determination.
Jia Xiuquan, since the age of 12 joined the Bayi youth team, through the storms of the sports team, knows that the traditional training mode is no longer adapted to the needs of contemporary Chinese soccer talent. He believes that the shaping of modern soccer talents cannot be separated from knowledge armament, sound personality training, and standardized basic technical training. A good player, moreover, needs to be in a good cultural atmosphere and stable educational environment to enhance cognitive ability in order to strengthen the decision-making power on the field.
The establishment of the Tongji International Football Academy has aptly filled the gap in Jia's mind. Facilitated by a third party, the two sides have agreed to a 6-year partnership covering youth learning and training from middle school to high school. If both parties are interested, the cooperation can be extended for another six years. The integration of soccer and education is not a one-day process, but the 12-year commitment witnesses the strong belief of both parties in the integration of top-level sports education.
Since its establishment in 2017, Tongji International Football Academy has become the first international soccer academy in China. Explaining the meaning of "international", President You Songhui said, "Tongji University originated from Germany, which is highly internationalized and has frequent exchanges with Europe."
The College quickly built a platform to set up a soccer club to provide students with practical opportunities. The men's team won the Champions League in Zhangzhou, and the women's team won the second place in the Women's B League in cooperation with Shanghai Port Club. In addition, the Academy has teams participating in the Five A and Five Super tournaments.
President You Songhui's plan for the club is to strive to enter the Central League. He emphasized, "The club platform is built to improve the level of players. The university league alone is not enough to train players. The introduction of foreign players from professional leagues above the Central League A and the scholarship policy for international students will enrich the club's lineup and take advantage of our internationalization."
