The Tianjin Evening News published an article stating that recently, nearly 100 elite male football players born in 2011 and 2012 participated in a two-week national selection process for the "Young Eagles Program" at the Xianghe training base. Ultimately, 22 young footballers were selected, and these players will travel to Madrid, Spain this October to train under the guidance of top youth training experts and exchange skills with local teams of the same age.
The selection process was spearheaded by Steven, the Chinese Football Association's youth training director, with former national team player Lei Tenglong serving as the head coach. Player selection relied on China's five-tiered youth training system and the Chinese Football Association's elite player database, essentially covering the main current development paths: professional clubs, sports schools, football-focused schools, and social organizations. The selection process involved a comprehensive evaluation based on a "five-ring model" of technical, tactical, physical, psychological, and social skills.
In addition to "selecting players," 23 grassroots coaches from various regions also participated in the selection. The expert group conducted a comprehensive evaluation from multiple dimensions, including coaching experience, personal professional ability, on-site command, development potential, and foreign language proficiency. The group selected the best coaches to recommend for overseas study with the team, thereby promoting the improvement of the professional training level, tactical skills, and on-site command ability of grassroots coaches.
Players born in 2011 and 2012 will form the core of the next two Chinese U17 men's national football teams. The 2011 age group team has already been formed, with former national team player Zhou Haibin as head coach. Following this year's U17 Men's World Cup, the formation of the 2012 age group team will be prioritized. The "Young Eagles Program" provides a platform for more promising young footballers to participate in overseas exchanges.
The "Young Eagle Project" evolved from the "Young Phoenix Project" launched in 2024. The project has been implemented in three phases and has sent a total of 11 outstanding players to the U16 and U17 women's national teams. Wang Chenxi and Ju Zhitong, two attackers in the Chinese U17 women's football team currently participating in the Tomorrow's Stars Champions Cup in Shanghai, are both beneficiaries of the "Young Phoenix Project".
