The national soccer team has targeted two players with special backgrounds in their quest to improve their midfield strength. One is foreign player Serginho, who plays for Changchun Yatai in the Chinese Super League, and the other is Dutch-born Chinese midfielder Tian Le. Serginho's solid performances in the Chinese Super League allowed him to meet FIFA's naturalization requirements. Tian Le, on the other hand, has a Hong Kong Chinese mother of Dutch descent and a Cantonese grandfather, and as a three-generation Chinese, he also meets the naturalization requirements.
This season, at the age of 21, Tian Le has become a mainstay in the Ajax team, especially in the UEFA Cup, where his brilliant performance, with a record of two goals and one assist, helped Ajax to fourth place in the UEFA Cup. Dutch soccer superstar Sneijder even praised him and regarded him as an indispensable member of Ajax. Despite this, he failed to make the Dutch U21 national team due to injury.
Tian Le's outstanding performance triggered fans' concern that he would be prioritized to be called up by the Dutch national team. As a result, there is no lack of fans on the internet calling on the CFA to speed up the naturalization process of Tian Le in order to strengthen the midfield of the national football team. However, Tian Le is waiting for a call-up to the Dutch team and politely declined the invitation from the FA.
In an interview with Dutch people's newspaper Willem Vissers, Tian Le himself revealed that China, Hong Kong, Holland and Suriname have all extended an olive branch to him, but the dust has not yet settled on his choice. "I haven't made up my mind yet, I have a deep affection for Holland, after all I grew up there and played for the Dutch youth team."
Although the 21-year-old Tenille seems to prefer the Dutch national team, his decision is still up in the air. With fierce competition in the Dutch frontcourt, Tian Le's future options remain a mystery. In the face of this situation, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) urgently needs to take positive action. If Tian Le can be naturalized, the attacking midfield of the national football team will undoubtedly see a qualitative leap.
