In the fourth episode of CCTV's anti-corruption feature film "Continue to Make Efforts to Promote in Depth", Chen Xuyuan, the former chairman of the Football Association, felt embarrassed. Facing the camera, Chen Xuyuan confessed and burst into tears, saying that he was willing to exchange his life for regret medicine. His confession was nicknamed "crocodile tears" by the outside world. Recalling that he had firmly stated in an interview with CCTV that he would stick to it, it now seems that this remark is particularly ironic.
Chen Xuyuan's transformation is not only a fluctuation of personal emotions, but also a microcosm of the changes in Chinese football. Before he took office, discussions about the choice of the president of the Chinese Football Association had attracted widespread attention. At the time, Chinese Super League club investors such as Xu Jiayin, chairman of Evergrande, and Wang Jianlin, chairman of Wanda, were seen as favourites, but in the end, Chen Xuyuan unexpectedly took over the position.
When Cai Zhenhua was the chairman of the Football Association, the Football Association reserved a position of co-opted vice president for the purpose of selecting from the professional league. This trend made Xu Jiayin, Zhang Zhang and others a hot topic, but in the end, this plan was also abandoned. This reflects the uncertainty and volatility of Chinese football management.
In 2019, the heavyweights of Chinese football - Zhou Jinhui, Xu Jiayin, Zhang Jindong, and Chen Xuyuan gathered at the Hilton Guangzhou Tianhe Hotel to visit the national football team. At that time, their arrival was seen as a strong support for Chinese football. However, only a few years later, the situation has changed dramatically. Xu Jiayin is now facing coercive measures, Wang Jianlin is gradually withdrawing from Chinese football, and Guangzhou R&F Club, which has been invested by Zhang Li, has been disbanded and withdrawn, these changes are touching.
Now, among the three major investors when Chen Xuyuan inspected the national football team, only Zhou Jinhui of Beijing Guoan is still insisting on investing. However, there are also many difficulties faced by the Guoan Club, which makes people think: In this Chinese football world full of uncertainties, who can hold on to the end? Chen Xuyuan's remorse and the ups and downs of Chinese football seem to tell us that Chinese football is not only a sport, but also a journey full of uncertainties. (Lao Qiu Super League Ball Review)