The development of Chinese football has been controversial and questionable. From the professional reform in the 80s of the last century, to the AFC Champions League journey at the beginning of this century, to the frequent defeats of the national football team in recent years, every stage has left a deep impression on fans. Behind these ups and downs, there are always some hidden black hands that are controlling the fate of the entire Chinese football.
Recently, the verdict of the former chairman of the Football Association Chen Xuyuan corruption and bribery case was released, and he was finally sentenced to life imprisonment, which undoubtedly shocked the entire Chinese football world. However, a closer look at the criminal history of this "big boss" will reveal that in addition to economic corruption, he has also participated in many heinous and destructive acts, which have seriously damaged the development of Chinese football.
1. Looking at Chen Xuyuan's "old scheming" through the naturalized player incident
As we all know, during Cai Zhenhua's tenure as chairman of the Football Association, the introduction of naturalized players has become a major means for the national football team to improve its combat effectiveness. Although this policy caused some controversy at the time, on the whole, it did bring some positive effects to the national football team.
But what people didn't expect was that this shady manipulator, Chen Xuyuan, tried to use naturalized players to achieve his own goals. According to the inside story revealed by the former national football team World Preliminary Tournament entourage who did not want to be named, before the home match against Australia in the fifth round of the 2021 round of the top 12 match, Chen Xuyuan had a conversation with the then national football coach Li Tie.
During the conversation, Chen Xuyuan clearly instructed Li Tie to let all naturalized players start the game. His reason turned out to be that if the national football team wins, it can temporarily relieve its pressure, and if it loses, it can also block the public opinion that the national football team does not reuse naturalized players.
It can be said that the attitude of this "big man" of the Football Association towards naturalized players is completely out of a cold-blooded and insidious calculation. He didn't care how these players were doing, and even used them as "cannon fodder" entirely. Naturalized players should have been an important force to enhance the strength of the national football team, but under the manipulation of Chen Xuyuan, they have become a tool for him to maintain his personal image.
What's even more outrageous is that Li Tie, who was on the side at the time, actually nodded his head again and again in agreement. This shows that in front of an "old fox" like Chen Xuyuan, even the coach of the national football team is difficult to get rid of his control. The chairman of the Football Association has so unscrupulously interfered in the national team's employment decisions, which can't help but make people wonder if there will be such a cat behind many of his "decisions".
Judging from this incident, Chen Xuyuan is undoubtedly a "scheming" figure. He is not only corrupt in the financial aspect, but also in the management of football, he is also ambitious, and he will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. This practice of "abusing power for personal gain" not only hurts the image of Chinese football, but also has a great negative impact on the combat effectiveness of the national team.
Second, Chen Xuyuan's "neutral name" policy has brought disaster to the country and the people
Another widely controversial practice during Chen's tenure in power was the "gender-neutral" policy. The so-called "gender-neutral" policy requires players not to use names that are too personal or foreign-style, but must use some font names with a distinctly "Chinese style".
The introduction of this policy has aroused questions from countless fans and professionals. Some people believe that this is an abuse of power and an infringement of the player's personal autonomy. There are also concerns that this could affect the performance and mental state of the players.
But from Chen's point of view, he clearly had other considerations. It has been revealed that he pursued this policy because he was worried that the use of foreign-style names by players would arouse public disgust and thus affect his ruling position.
In other words, the Football Association "bigwig" is completely putting his own personal interests above the interests of the country and the fans. He doesn't care about the feelings of his players and fans, and just wants to maintain his position and prestige through such means. This kind of irresponsible practice of abusing power for personal gain is undoubtedly a major harm to China's football cause.
What's even more terrifying is that this "gender-neutral" policy has continued to this day. Although there has been some loosening in recent years, there are still many restrictions. This has undoubtedly greatly hindered the internationalization of Chinese football, and also deprived countless players of the opportunity to show their individuality.
It can be said that the "neutral name" policy implemented by Chen Xuyuan not only deprives players of their basic rights, but also exacerbates the gap between Chinese football and international football to a certain extent. This kind of "self-limiting" approach will inevitably become a stumbling block for Chinese football to go global.
3. Chen Xuyuan's "Theory of Public Welfare" quenches thirst
In addition to the above two approaches, Chen Xuyuan also put forward a controversial concept during his tenure, that is, the so-called "public welfare theory".
Specifically, the Football Association "bigwig" believes that professional football clubs should move away from the pursuit of profit and instead position themselves as a "public good". He believes that this will not only better serve the fans, but also better promote the overall development of Chinese football.
However, it turns out that this "public welfare theory" is actually a false proposition. Under Chen's leadership, the Chinese professional football league has fallen into a situation of long-term losses, and many clubs are even at risk of bankruptcy.
What is even more puzzling is that although these professional clubs are financially unsustainable, Chen Xuyuan still insists on promoting this "public welfare theory". Obviously, his attitude and approach on this issue are completely out of his own selfish interests, rather than sincerely promoting the development of Chinese football.
It can be said that Chen Xuyuan's "public welfare theory" is undoubtedly a practice of "drinking water to quench thirst". Not only does it fail to solve the real problems of professional football in China, but it only exacerbates the dilemma in this area.
Fourth, misleading the national football team and burying the future of the national football team
Not only that, what Chen Xuyuan did at the national team level is also outrageous.
As mentioned earlier, before the 2021 round of 12 against Australia, Chen Xuyuan had clearly instructed the then national football coach Li Tie to let all naturalized players start. This is undoubtedly an extremely absurd and wrong approach.
The introduction of naturalized players was originally to enhance the combat effectiveness of the national football team and help the national team achieve better results. But under Chen Xuyuan's manipulation, these players, who should have become the main pillars, have become "cannon fodder" for him to maintain his personal image.
This kind of irresponsible behavior of abusing power for personal gain will undoubtedly seriously damage the morale and fighting spirit of the national football team. Taking a step back, even if the national football team finally defeats its opponent in this way, what is the point? It is just a fake result that cannot truly reflect the strength level of the national football team.
What's even more disturbing is that under the guidance of Chen Xuyuan, Li Tie, the then coach of the national football team, unconsciously cooperated with this "conspiracy". This can't help but make people suspect that under Chen Xuyuan's manipulation, there may be some other outrageous things in the national football team.
It can be said that what Chen Xuyuan did at the national team level is completely "misleading" and "buried". He does not sincerely promote the development of the national football team, but uses various means to protect his own selfish interests. This practice is undoubtedly a desecration of national honor, and it will also become a stumbling block to the strength of Chinese football.
5. Chen Xuyuan's "Mysterious Transaction"
In addition to the above-mentioned scandals, Chen Xuyuan was also involved in some "mysterious transactions" during his tenure.
It is understood that in 2019, Chen Xuyuan once led a deal involving the transfer of the club. Specifically, he bought the transfer rights of a foreign player from a Guangzhou-based club for a price that was much higher than the market value.
There may be some hidden secrets behind this deal. It is reported that Chen Xuyuan may have used some improper means when buying the transfer rights of the player, such as using his position of power to exert pressure on relevant parties.
What's even more embarrassing is that this deal ended up causing great losses to the transferee, the Guangzhou Club. It is reported that after joining Guangzhou, the foreign player did not perform well, but brought a heavy financial burden to the club. This is undoubtedly an extremely bad deal.
It can be said that this incident once again exposed Chen Xuyuan's "scheming" and "professional-level corruption". He even used his position of power to carry out some highly suspicious trading activities, which brought huge losses to the relevant parties. This kind of criminal behavior not only harms Chinese football, but also seriously corrupts the order of the entire football ecosystem.
VI. Conclusion
To sum up, the actions of former Football Association Chairman Chen Xuyuan during his tenure have undoubtedly brought great harm to the cause of Chinese football. Whether it is the "public welfare theory" at the club level, or the "naturalized player" issue at the national team level, or some "mysterious transactions", he has shown a kind of "cunning" and "professional-level corruption".
It can be said that Chen Xuyuan is the mastermind behind the "terminal illness" of Chinese football. He is not only corrupt financially, but also does his best to seek personal interests at the football management level, completely ignoring the overall development of Chinese football. This kind of irresponsible practice of abusing power for personal gain has undoubtedly become the biggest stumbling block on the road to the progress of Chinese football.
Now, Chen Xuyuan has finally received the punishment he deserves, which undoubtedly injects a shot in the arm for Chinese football. However, we must be soberly aware that it is far from enough to punish this "big boss". It is also necessary to further ascertain the facts of his other crimes at the level of football management, so as to completely eliminate these "cancers" in China's football industry.
Only in this way can we truly achieve the comprehensive revival of Chinese football and make this sport become the pride and pride of the Chinese people again. I believe that as long as we make unremitting efforts, Chinese football will be able to reappear on the world stage with a new look and bring long-lost glory to the Chinese people!