Anger, scorn from Chinese football fans after Japan thrashes China 7-0 in record World Cup qualifier loss
He Sheng, a popular sports blogger with more than a million fans on Weibo, had flown to Saitama to watch the match with his daughter. He told his followers that the truth was that the Chinese football team had played terribly.Β
βThere was nothing to sum up about this match,β he said.
TO EVEN CONSIDER THE WORLD CUP IS IMPOSSIBLE NOWΒ
President Xi Jinping, reportedly a big football fan, once expressed his hopes to turn China into a “global football superpower”.
But the sport has long grappled with corruption, which fans have long blamed for the countryβs poor performances.Β
In 2023, Chinese politician Chen Xuyuan who served as the president of the Chinese Football Association, was given a life sentence for bribery as part of a state investigation that began in 2022 and also snared several senior figures.
Chinaβs dream for football is fast fading. Former China football captain Fan Zhiyi shared his thoughts about the match on Weibo, saying that “to even consider the World Cup is impossible now”.
“Itβs better to gain experience from failure and work hard again,” Fan said.
He added that it has been hard for fans to accept last nightβs defeat. βWhen thereβs a gap in ability and you lose, itβs acceptable. But the way the team lost is difficult for the fans to accept.β
An opinion piece published by Shanghai-based The Paper on Friday morning said the match in Saitma set βseveral unbearable records for the menβs football team, such as the largest ever defeat against Japanβ.
It also pointed to problems with corruption and said Chinese football fans needed to be more active in seeking change.Β
Source: CNA