The debate on the internet about professional vs. amateur youth soccer training is getting more and more heated. Amateur youth camps are constantly pointing fingers at professional youth training, arguing that it is difficult to produce top players; on the other hand, they proudly claim to have shone in the international arena, winning numerous honors, and even catching the top teams in Europe off-guard, which breeds a sense of pride. However, on closer examination, this argument seems unconvincing, and the advantages of professional youth training are obvious. What are the specific criticisms of professional youth training that amateur youth training focuses on?
Amateur youth training sources point out that professional youth training, especially in organizations like the Luneng Soccer School, has many problems, such as producing players who are incredibly fast but technically crude and lack finesse. This is attributed to the fact that more than a decade ago, the Luneng Soccer School took a simple and direct approach when it came to the U13 and U15 age groups: sending more healthy, speedy players, focusing on simple and rough soccer playing styles, and neglecting the development of players' basic skills and delicate techniques. While some players with strong personalities have emerged today, such as Liu Binbin, Liu Yang and Wang Tong, who have a clear speed advantage, their footwork leaves a lot to be desired.
When Huang Qiang talked about sports, he mentioned that the debate between professional and amateur youth training has been going on for many years, with both sides not buying into each other's ideas, especially those who claim to be the "godfathers of amateur youth training". Their success overseas has led some uninformed fans to believe that they are the real experts in youth training and have even won so-called championships. However, such a viewpoint is only misleading to some soccer laymen. Real soccer connoisseurs would not agree with such a statement. Although Luneng Football School has produced many outstanding players, some people still criticize it, saying that it is defective in some aspects, such as speed and physical quality are certainly excellent, but the footwork is not refined enough. This is mainly due to the excessive pursuit of short-term results in the past. Without reform, history may repeat itself.
