LALIGA and CFA successfully complete the first phase of the intensive training program for Chinese Youth Football managers

LALIGA and the Chinese Football Association have successfully completed the first phase of a joint training program aimed at enhancing the development of Youth Football in China, A total of 39 participants have received intensive course combining theoretical training and field work in Kunming (China), The participants included academy directors from top-tier professional clubs in the Chinese Super League (CSL), China League One, Women’s Super League, and Women’s League One, as well as youth football directors from CFA member associations and key football development cities across the country. A second phase is also planned for Spain at the beginning of the new season, in which LALIGA clubs will participate.

Two experts from the LALIGA technical team, certified with the highest UEFA Pro licence, with national and international experience, travelled from Spain to deliver this first phase: Saúl Vázquez and David García. Both highlighted the high professional level of the 39 participants, whom they described as a proactive group, with concerns and the ability to apply the knowledge acquired.

According to the trainers, among the topics that aroused most interest were the construction of solid youth football structures in professional clubs, the definition of functions by areas, the establishment of a common methodology adapted to each stage of development, as well as how to transfer it to the respective work teams.

Another key point was the reflection on the work to attract and select the desired player profiles in each structure: their characteristics by demarcation, the type of player to be developed and the process necessary to achieve it.

The LALIGA Methodology - adapted to each training stage from initiation to high performance - is based on four fundamental pillars: tactical-cognitive, technical-coordination, physical-conditional and psychological-social-affective. The integral attention to the player is an essential part of the methodological principles, which require the planned work of the structure of the sessions, the

monitoring and personalised evaluation of the talent and the establishment of progression models, with emphasis on the psychological and educational area.

The Chinese Football Association is actively implementing the General plan of Chinese football reform and develop. In order to improve the training and development system for football professionals and strengthen the cultivation of football management talent, CFA launched a youth academy directors’ training program in 2024. This program includes both domestic foundational courses and international field training, aiming to accelerate the development of outstanding youth academy directors who are equipped with advanced international concepts and deeply rooted in the realities of Chinese football. The current training program, jointly organized by CFA and LALIGA, holds significant importance in this regard.

Sun Jun, a participant from the Qingdao Football Association, shared: “I’m very grateful for the opportunity to join this program. Through the training, I’ve come to understand that youth development is not only about teaching skills, but a comprehensive system of nurturing both the player and the person. A youth academy director should not only be a ‘manager’, but also a ‘strategist’ and a ‘driving force’—someone who understands both the sport (training and tactics) and management (team coordination and resource integration), while also being forward-thinking (anticipating football development trends and adjusting youth training accordingly). I now feel an even stronger sense of responsibility and mission.”

Hou Zhiqiang, a participant from the Shandong Football Association, noted that the two instructors from LALIGA delivered a systematic introduction to Spain’s youth development system and football philosophy. “The course was rich in content and sparked in-depth discussion. After this training, I feel better equipped to oversee and coordinate youth development efforts in my region.”

Zhang Xiaofei, a participant from Changchun Yatai F.C., said: “This program reaffirmed my belief that the development of youth football requires clear goals and long-term commitment. I gained valuable insights into academy system design and performance analysis, which will support my future work. I hope to do my best to help young players reach their athletic potential and assist coaches in improving their training capabilities.”

LALIGA has accumulated knowledge and experience about the different organisational, methodological and operational models of the youth academies thanks to the work it has been carrying out for years with the LALIGA EA SPORTS and LALIGA HYPERMOTION clubs through the National Plan for the Improvement and Optimisation of Youth Academies. One of the results of this work is the incorporation of the use of technological tools for data analysis and video analysis and their integration into sports decision-making. LALIGA has LALIGA Academy Manager, a platform developed in-house which manages the data of all its projects and which is used by many of its clubs' youth academies.

LALIGA has a well-established Football Projects area, which has already accumulated more than 850 projects in 55 countries since its creation in 2015. These programmes include numerous trainings where more than 24,000 local coaches have been trained over the years in countries such as the USA, Vietnam or South Korea under the LALIGA Methodology and projects such as Train-the-Trainers.