Beijing, March 16 (Xinhua) -- After ending the 2023 U20 Asian Cup trip with surprises and regrets, the Chinese U20 men's football team flew to Beijing in the early morning of the 16th. Team leader Shao Jiayi said in an interview that the whole team has made a lot of efforts for this competition and hopes that the players will not stop moving forward in the future.
On March 3, Antonio (right), the head coach of the Chinese U20 men's football team, and Shao Jiayi, the head coach of the team, commanded on the sidelines. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Che Zhouyong)
"There will definitely be some rewards for the effort. It has been exactly two months since the team went abroad for training on January 16 to return to China today. In this process, the players and coaches really give a lot. Some of the players were on the verge of collapse mentally and physically for a while, but in the end, everyone survived, and finally played the overall requirements of the coaches in preparation for the game. Overall it is satisfactory, but it is still a little bit worse, and we will continue to work hard in the future. Shao Jiayi said.
On March 9, at the 2023 U20 Men's Asian Cup, Chinese players celebrated advancing to the quarterfinals after the group stage. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Che Zhouyong)
After the end of the U20 Asian Cup, the U20 national team has no new tasks for a short period of time, and the team's head coach Antonio has also returned to Spain due to the expiration of his contract. For the future of this team, Shao Jiayi said that the specific situation will be decided after discussion by the Chinese Football Association. "Normally the team will be retained because the team also has the task of [2026] Asian Games. We have been together for four years very well, and the relationship between the team members has become deeper and deeper, and I am a little reluctant. ”
Shao Jiayi said that he also warned these young players: "No one wants to lose, but since we lose, we have to accept it and keep going." If we want to do things in the future, we must make unremitting efforts and keep moving forward, so that we can achieve our future goals. He said that the players are adjusting well, and they should have a short break when they come back and then move on.
Chinese U20 male soccer players pose for a group photo after arriving at Beijing Capital International Airport on March 16. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Jia Haocheng
In addition, Shao Jiayi, who was recently appointed as the new manager of the Chinese men's national team, will also travel to Guangzhou to join the team as soon as possible for two warm-up matches in New Zealand in late March. "I'm going to report to the national team soon. I had been contacting the team by phone, but I didn't actually get there. I hope to adapt as soon as possible after arriving at the team, and then enter the role as soon as possible. ”
Source: Xinhua News Agency