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Football scandal dampens fans' enthusiasm
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Allegations of match-fixing and gambling has dampened many people's enthusiasm for the game. This includes a large group of younger football fans who have once dreamed of making it into the professional leagues.
Football is a daily routine for Chen Qi and his teammate at their school in Beijing. Becoming a professional player has been their childhood dream.
Chen Qi, a middle school student, said, "I hope I can enter a professional football team in the future."
Chen and his teammates have gotten an early start in their professional training. Their school has an agreement with Beijing Guo'an football team, which sent professional coaches to train the students.
But the students' enthusiasm for football has now cooled, after news broke out about the domestic football scandal involving key players and club officials.
Parents feel the need to keep their children away from the path they once dreamed for.
Parents said, "Parents only allow students to play football for fun, but not for their future carrier. Many children with talents have to give up hopes of becoming a professional player."
Figures from the Chinese Football Association show shrinking numbers of new players each year. The number has dropped from 650 thousand to only 20 thousand. Many are worried about the future of Chinese football, once the younger generation loses hope of becoming professional players.
Li Chengpeng, sports commertator, said, "The scandal is a blow to the coaches, and the football agents. Nobody watches their matches, and they have no money to cultivate young football players. So there is not going to be sustainable development of the game. "
Experts are urging reforms in the current football competition system, with stronger supervision. The ongoing campaign against football match-fixing and gambling is a hopeful beginning in cleaning up the sport.
