Beyond the elite, they also have their own football world

By Nan Nan On November 8, 2025, at the football field of Qingdao Preschool Teachers College (hereinafter referred to as "College"), less than 20 minutes into the second round of the first Shandong "Governor's Cup", the score was already 2-0, with the home team College being suffocated by Qingdao University of Science and Technology.

Qingdao University of Science and Technology is one of the strong teams in Shandong university football. In 2025, they brought in five talented players from Changsha Yali High School. In the first round of the "Governor's Cup", they swept Shandong University of Sport 3-0, the latter being the former king of university football in Shandong.

On the other side stood a group of children who had never been selected by any elite selection system. Sometimes, the world needs inspirational stories, so the College began to score goals one after another: a corner kick goal, a counterattack goal, a set-piece goal, and then a penalty winner. 4-3, a dramatic match, and the most wonderful memory for the College team in the entire 2025.

"That match was the real beginning of the team's transformation," said Jia Xiaoyang, deputy director of the Academic Affairs Office at the College and one of the initial builders of the team. The College team consists of players who were eliminated by the elite training system, but they found new hope and dreams in the vocational education pathway, and also found their own football world.

Among the team, Jiang Libo is from Heze. He played football at Caozhou Martial Arts School in high school, and others jokingly said he practiced "kung fu football". At Caozhou Martial Arts School, Jiang Libo was a substitute for three years. In his senior year, he played in the China Youth League, with a total playing time of less than 20 minutes across four matches.

The team also had former standouts. Feng Yuchen from Zaozhuang was selected into Shanghai Jiading Huilong at age 14, spent three years in the professional echelon, and was eliminated at 17, returning to Zaozhuang No.8 High School. There, he met Shang Ming'ao, who had progressed through the school football system as a special talent. They came from different places but shared a common point: they couldn't get an athlete's grade certificate in three years. Because the competition was too fierce. Jinan and Qingdao almost monopolized all the championships, while in Zaozhuang, "the city can't get one or two certificates in a year."

Jiang Libo's fate with the College was quite strange. While filling out his college application, he scrolled down with the mouse, looking for target schools, and accidentally discovered that this school even had a football major. In 2024, six football vocational colleges were established nationwide. For kids like Jiang Libo and Shang Ming'ao, this was a new hope. Without these football academies, they would probably study mechanics, electronics, or pick a random major unrelated to football, and never play again.

Now it's different. Here, not only is there football, but also Hou Zhiqiang, a Shandong football legend and AFC professional-level coach. He brought the kids training comparable to professional level, changing their fates. Jiang Libo obtained coaching and referee certificates. Feng Yuchen was pre-booked by a Shandong Super League team. There was also a kid named Dong Yining, whom everyone in the team called "football fanatic". Dong Yining would get up at 5 AM to train by himself. When Feng Yuchen left the dormitory at 7:40 AM for class, Dong Yining had already finished his routine training and was doing extra fitness.

It is precisely because they were eliminated that these kids persist so much. Dong Yining had two front teeth knocked out. The teachers said they would help him get implants, but he said no: "I'll just wear braces in the future, I'm bound to get hit again."

The beauty of life is never easily obtained

On the evening of October 3, 2025, before the National Day holiday ended, the College's head coach Hou Zhiqiang was already in the dormitory counting the football team members. To prepare for the Shandong "Governor's Cup" starting next month, Hou demanded that all players return to school on the night of the 3rd and start training on the 4th.

Hou had coached the Luneng football school team and produced national team players like Wei Shihao. Even with college students, he followed professional team standards. That night, the list in Hou's hand was missing one name: Jiang Libo. Soon, Jia Xiaoyang's phone rang. When he answered, he heard Hou's angry voice: "Why is someone still not here? The team has rules, you must arrive on time!"

Jiang Libo's phone soon rang. When the call connected, only Jia Xiaoyang was speaking. Jiang Libo barely made a sound, only promising at the end that he would return to school tomorrow. Shortly after hanging up, Jia Xiaoyang received a few pictures on WeChat. In the pictures, a dark-skinned kid was helping his grandparents pick corn. Jiang Libo's parents were both working away from home, so all the farm work fell on him.

It wasn't that Jiang Libo didn't want to return, but he had to finish the heavy farm work at home first before he could go back to school with peace of mind. After seeing the photos, Jia Xiaoyang immediately called Hou Zhiqiang. There was a long silence on the other end. "Later we felt really guilty for not understanding Xiao Jiang's family situation," Jia said.

Jiang Libo's hometown is Heze, where football resources are scarce. It's very difficult to achieve results and get a sports grade certificate by playing football. Jiang attended Caozhou Martial Arts School in high school. Their football program is also a flagship, often ranking among the top in Shandong, and is always jokingly called "kung fu football". The echelon system here is quite complete, from young ages all the way to high school, and some age groups even have two teams. Accompanied by a strong football atmosphere is fierce competition. Even with good physical fitness, Jiang Libo was not a starter on the school team.

▲ Jia Weiwei, who plays for Qingdao West Coast, is also from Caozhou Martial Arts School.

Shandong is a strong football province. The provincial champions are monopolized year after year by teams from Jinan and Qingdao. It's extremely difficult for a team from Heze to fight for a sports grade certificate, and even if they do, it doesn't go to substitute players. In three years of high school, Jiang Libo didn't get a single certificate. Without a certificate, it's hard for him to get into a bachelor's degree program. After all, in the football world, those who excel both academically and athletically are still a minority.

The process of filling out the college application was somewhat painful for Jiang Libo. At 18, he only wanted to play football. Anything outside football made him confused. He kept scrolling with the mouse, dragging through schools and majors one by one, everything mechanical and cold, until the six characters "Football Management Major" caught his eye. "I didn't hesitate at all and chose here," Jiang said.

Jiang Libo's idea was simple: he wanted to continue playing football. He was not an elite player, had no grade certificate. Strictly speaking, he had never entered the elite ranks of our youth training. But he just wanted to keep playing. At the College, there were many kids like Jiang Libo. So in the eyes of those elite teams, Jiang Libo and his team were very weak. How weak? In a friendly match where the College team joined with another school, not a single player from the College could compete for a starting position; most of them watched the whole game from the bench. That was the starting point for Jiang Libo and his mates.

To change the team, before the "Governor's Cup", Hou Zhiqiang took the team on a bus to constantly find teams to play friendlies. Seeing the opponents, Jiang Libo realized Hou's value. "We always did warm-ups according to Coach Hou's standards. We thought it was nothing special, but when we saw the warm-up drills of our opponents, we understood the difference between us and real professional teams," Jiang said.

▲ Jiang Libo (blue) playing against Peizheng High School in the third Centennial Schools Cup.

In the first match of the "Governor's Cup", just standing on the sidelines, Jiang Libo's heart rate reached 175. The assistant coach looked at the data and sighed, "How can we play like this?" Some players' movements were off from the first minute, unable to bear the huge psychological pressure, even though there was no intense physical contact yet.

The result of the story is very inspiring: from 0-2 to 4-3, those constantly eliminated players won. "After this match, the kids transformed," Jia Xiaoyang said. These kids finally understood what the intensity far beyond school football brought them. The shuttle runs after normal daily training, even the 12-minute run, enabled them to defeat the dominant kings of Qingdao school football.

"Before, I didn't know what the point of training like this was. After that 4-3, I understood," Jiang Libo said. Jiang also found himself getting stronger. The senior players who were originally starters gradually gave way to him. Those former teammates and opponents from middle school gradually became his defeated rivals. Jiang Libo's favorite saying is: Please don't believe that victory is as easy to obtain as dandelions on a hillside.

Jiang Libo became stronger and also more outgoing. He proactively obtained a coaching certificate and a referee certificate. Once, when the school went to a primary school in Jiaozhou to teach football, Jiang Libo played with the kids and talked for a whole afternoon, which was rare. In front of those children, he was no longer Hou Zhiqiang's player, but a big brother admired by the little ones.

But who could imagine that this big brother, with shining eyes when with the kids, the number 9 who kept scoring in Qingdao city-level matches, was someone who stubbornly rose from continuous setbacks and blows. Victory is never easily obtained, and neither is the beauty of life.

▲ The starting lineup of the College in the first match of the Governor's Cup.

Only after tasting the bitterness of failure can one better appreciate opportunities.

Seven years ago, 14-year-old Feng Yuchen was selected into the Shanghai Jiading Huilong echelon. That year, Jiading Huilong moved from the Chinese Champions League to the Chinese League Two, and gradually introduced a Spanish youth training system, a full European three-center-back system. Feng played as a defensive midfielder in the team.

Entering the echelon at 14, Feng wasn't early. Some kids in the team had already trained for several years, so he was a latecomer. The defensive midfielder position in a three-center-back system is the hub: defensively he drops between the two center-backs, offensively he is the first passing outlet. The Spanish coaching team had very detailed requirements, with clear running routes and passing options for each position.

Professional echelons are one of the elite systems of youth training. As he moved up, Feng faced not only competition from his peers in the same echelon. "Today, 10 trial players come, maybe one or two stay at most. People come every day, and tomorrow I might be the one leaving," Feng said. A 14-year-old kid had already begun to taste the cruelty of professional football.

In the school football system, hard work might be commendable, but in a professional echelon, hard work is the basic standard. "If we only talk about hard work, I actually had an advantage among my peers," Feng said, "but further up, that's not enough."

▲ Feng Yuchen (second from right) participating in the National Higher Sports Vocational College Student Skills Competition.

Feng Yuchen is not someone who settles for mediocrity. He described his competitive method like this: "For example, if I learn a skill today, and if others haven't learned it, I feel like I know it and you don't, so I don't need to intentionally strengthen that skill. If I learn it and you also learn it, and everyone knows it, then I definitely want to do it better than you, so I would want to practice a specific skill more."

Feng kept training, but the elimination mechanism of the professional echelon doesn't look at whether you trained; it looks at whether there is someone better, or cheaper, even younger.

After three years, it was Feng's turn to leave. At 17, he returned to an ordinary school. The long-missed ordinary campus life still made him feel a gap. "Before, I was always playing outside, managed by professional team rules. Now back in school, I have to follow school regulations. At first, it was a bit uncomfortable; I needed time to adapt," Feng said.

Time could help Feng adapt to the new environment, but some things were harsh for him. "I can't understand the classes. Except for Chinese, everything else is like listening to a foreign language," Feng said.

▲ Feng Yuchen (left), Shang Ming'ao (center), and coach Hou Zhiqiang (right).

Of course, he also had a dimension-reducing advantage: the intensity of school football training and matches was much lower for him. He spent three years chasing the dream of professional football. When he came back, those three years felt like an unpayable debt. Someone asked him if the past three years of effort were wasted. Feng said it wasn't wasted. But the gap was real. He didn't regret his choice. "Pressure is also a kind of motivation for me. I feel that growing under this pressure actually helps me a lot," he said.

At the College, Feng met Hou Zhiqiang, who moved him from defensive midfielder to forward and gave him the captain's armband. A defensive midfielder pushed to the front meant changing from an organizer to a finisher. What Hou saw in him, Feng didn't say, but from then on, many people's questions to him changed. "Did you score today?" Whether he scored or not, Feng always responded with a shy smile. He had seen many people stronger than him, and at the College, he was always calm.

The change was not only in position. Jia Xiaoyang noticed that Feng Yuchen started taking his teammates to the physiotherapy room. Before, they would just stretch after matches and leave. Now everyone consciously goes for physiotherapy. Every night at lights-out, everyone automatically puts down their phones. Hou's training intensity forces them to be disciplined.

"The team rule is to sleep at 10 PM. If you stay up until midnight, you might not be able to keep up with training requirements the next day," Feng said. "The intensity is there, forcing you to be disciplined."

▲ Feng Yuchen playing against Guangzhou Peizheng High School (blue 10) in the third Centennial Schools Cup.

Entering the College brought Feng another unexpected thing: here he still had the possibility to challenge professional leagues again. Currently, a Shandong Super League team has pre-booked Feng Yuchen, either as a player or as a future staff member. He might even be recommended to the national futsal team. At the College, a kid spit out by the professional echelon saw the possibility of returning to professional football through vocational education.

Whenever asked if he had considered seeking opportunities to return to professional leagues through city leagues or the Chinese Champions League, Feng replied shyly: "If there is such an opportunity, I can try." He said, "After all, I am still young." Then he paused, "But not too young, 21 years old."

Feng Yuchen obtained a D-level coaching certificate. He is waiting to attend higher-level coaching training classes. "Show your sharp claws, let the world see your fierce side." This was a sentence Feng liked when he was a kid starting to play football. He still likes it now, but finds it a bit childish. However, if you put this sentence on a kid who entered a professional echelon at 14, was eliminated by the elite system at 17, and saw the hope of entering professional football again at 21, it is not childish. It is his attitude toward himself after climbing up from the gap.

Who says only those standing in the light are heroes?

The silent defensive midfielder and his faith.

How difficult is it to get a football athlete grade certificate in Zaozhuang, Shandong?

"The whole city can't get one or two certificates in a year," Shang Ming'ao said. "You have to be among the top in the province to get a certificate, and we compete with strong teams from Jinan and Qingdao."

In the school football system, schools in Jinan and Qingdao, due to their deep heritage, have "insufficient certificates to distribute". But in Shang's school, Zaozhuang No.8 High School, maybe no one in the entire team can get one. To get a certificate, you have to be among the top in provincial competitions, eliminating those kids who have had professional coaches since elementary school, train seven days a week, and constantly play high-level matches.

Shang Ming'ao is a kid from this environment. In Zaozhuang, he was a football special talent. He played in the school football system for many years, never saw professional training, couldn't get a certificate, and couldn't enter a bachelor's degree program through the special admission exam.

After the college entrance exam, Shang was also a bit confused, not knowing what he wanted to do in the future. Having played football for so many years, he wasn't interested in many other things. His family's opinion was to choose a major more related to future work, such as information technology, which could keep up with the times.

▲ Teaching at a primary school, Shang Ming'ao has a natural affinity with children.

Like Jiang Libo, Shang Ming'ao also chose the College without hesitation when he saw the football major. But unlike Jiang's eyes lighting up, Shang didn't have that excitement. He just directly chose it, that's his personality. So, Hou Zhiqiang let him play defensive midfielder.

When he first joined the team, Shang, like other teammates, didn't show much excitement when seeing Hou Zhiqiang. "They saw a high-level professional coach; theoretically they should be excited, but at that time I could see confusion in their eyes," Jia Xiaoyang said. Shang said he wasn't confused, just silent. Although he didn't speak, he was observing.

Hou's training intensity far exceeded anything Shang had experienced before. He said: "None of the previous coaches had such high intensity." Shang recalled that most team members didn't complain. Only one player, after being criticized by Hou, turned around and glared back, probably a youthful impulsive act. Soon, that teammate apologized to Hou.

Shang wouldn't do that. His logic was simple: "If a coach like Coach Hou criticizes me, it must be because I did something wrong." This is not cowardice; it's the first reaction of a kid who has never experienced high-level guidance when facing criticism. It's actually not doubt, but trust from the bottom of his heart. He believes Hou can make him better.

▲ Hou Zhiqiang coaching the College team in the third Centennial Schools Cup.

Under Hou's training, Shang and his teammates began to feel what professional football is. Jia Xiaoyang told them that although this is a vocational college, they are luckier than ordinary kids. Many university high-level teams have never experienced such training. So sometimes, Shang and his teammates feel a bit like professional players, even if just a little.

Feng Yuchen was Shang's teammate at Zaozhuang No.8 High School. In his eyes, Shang's style is like Toni Kroos, controlling the rhythm of the game. "But a defensive midfielder with a style like Kroos, yet his idol is Cristiano Ronaldo. The reason is simple: he likes Ronaldo's self-discipline."

"I am quite disciplined with my daily routine, but when it comes to eating, I can't help it. I don't have those conditions, but I try to control," Shang said. He is the type who doesn't talk much, very calm. He is silent off the field, but his commands on the field are never ambiguous. The defensive midfielder position is like this: you have to see the whole picture, control the tempo under your feet, and speak when necessary. Shang's talent is not in speed or explosive power, but in his eyes and his mind.

Every training session, Shang observes. He is like a sponge, frantically absorbing everything Hou brings them, with the future goal of becoming a coach. When teaching at a primary school, Shang becomes a different person. With the kids, Shang almost never stops talking. Jia Xiaoyang said there is a natural affinity between Shang and the children, which is different from Hou. In Hou's training, the kids are more like in a class, a bit restrained. With Shang, they are more relaxed.

▲ The reward of guiding children in football helped Shang find his future direction.

Shang also enjoys this feeling. In his plan, he still wants to become a coach in the future, leading middle school kids. Feng Yuchen wants to coach younger kids, to see if he can encounter some talented children and cultivate them.

Jia Xiaoyang saw more hope from these kids. The school also firmly set a direction: to cultivate more grassroots coaches for Chinese football, letting the players who graduate from the College teach children how to play football correctly. "If we can prevent children from quitting football before age 12 because of a coach, we will have succeeded," Jia said.

From being taught to teaching. Shang Ming'ao did not find glory in football, but found a medium to pass on to others. His silent but striving way is exactly suitable for children. Shang's favorite saying is the most plain among teammates, with no poetry or excitement: "As long as you work hard, there will be rewards."

This is a heartfelt insight from someone who fought his way out of a football-underdeveloped city, never entered any elite echelon, and relied on school football all the way to the College. This is not a slogan; it's something he still believes after experiencing a not-so-successful journey.