Dong Lu Photo: VCG

Chinese football commentator and youth football promoter Dong Lu believes that China's football future lies not in challenging global powerhouses overnight, but in steadily improving competitiveness against similarly ranked teams, a lesson drawn from his team's championship-winning campaign in Italy.

Dong's remarks came after the Chinese Football Boys 2014 team claimed the Sigismondi International Youth Cup in Italy earlier this month, defeating Everton's youth side in a penalty shootout in the final. 

The U12 team completed the 48-team tournament with seven victories from seven matches, scoring 21 goals and conceding only two throughout the competition, which featured youth academies from several European clubs and is regarded as one of the stronger international tournaments for the age group. 

Reflecting on the achievement, Dong rejected the idea that Chinese football's struggles come from an inability to compete with the world's elite teams.

"Do we really have no chance of beating a team like Brazil? I don't think so," Dong told the Global Times. "China has not failed to qualify for the World Cup because we cannot beat Brazil, France, Japan, South Korea or Iran. The problem is that we have too often failed to beat teams that are at our own level - or below it."

While acknowledging the gap in individual talent between Chinese players and those from traditional football powers, Dong argued that football is ultimately about finding ways to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses.

"Perhaps we may never be comparable to Brazilian players in terms of individual ability," he said. "But the question is how we can find methods to suppress our opponents' strengths while making the most of our own."

He pointed to football's unpredictability as evidence that results are not determined solely by talent.

"Brazil is very strong, but Brazil also lost 7-1 to Germany," he noted, referring to the famous semi-final of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

According to Dong, Chinese football's immediate objective should be more practical.

"In the short term, our task is to qualify from Asia," he said. "We need to achieve a higher winning rate against teams that are weaker than us and teams that are at a similar level. It has to be done step by step."

The tournament victory in Italy has generated widespread debate among Chinese football fans, many of whom see the result as a rare bright spot amid the national team's continuing struggles.

Dong said that he was encouraged by the positive response from supporters and the media after the triumph.

"We felt the excitement and encouragement from fans across the country," he said. "We also felt the recognition from the media for what our platform has been doing over the past nine years."

Founded in 2017, the Chinese Football Boys project has developed multiple youth teams and has become one of China's best-known grassroots football initiatives. 

Dong has repeatedly advocated for greater opportunities for young Chinese players to compete abroad and experience higher-level football environments. He believes that international exposure remains essential for the next generation.

"We should help more young players go abroad," Dong said. "They must experience higher-level competitions and improve their understanding of football."

Dong also thanked sponsor BYD for supporting overseas competition opportunities for the young players.

"The most important thing is for them to see what top-level football looks like around the world," he said.

Dong emphasized that Chinese football should avoid simply copying foreign models. "The key is to combine what we learn with our own strengths and characteristics," he said. "We need to find a way to play football that belongs to the Chinese people."