In a lengthy interview with journalist Zhang Keming, Taiwan’s mens national team captain, Chen Po-liang, gave an impassioned assessment of his country’s current footballing set-up.

Chen, who became national team captain at just twenty-one years old, also holds the record for most caps and goals for the national team. Now thirty-six, the midfielder has played in the Chinese mainland for over a decade and was quick to draw a distinction between how things are done either side of the strait;

“The biggest impact comes from the [lack of] facilities[…] It is difficult for our Taiwanese team[s] to train on their own. We often have to adjust to school schedules and wait for others to finish training before we can get a turn.”

Facilities have been an issue within Taiwan for a while. Indeed, the limited number of stadiums or training facilities was directly responsible for the recent cancelation of a Taiwan women’s national team game.

Chen also made a series of detailed critiques about the lack of short-term and long-term planning within the national team. Firstly, the quality of preparation needed to improve, specifically by scheduling high-level friendlies to get ready for key games. Secondly, the overall financial investment in Taiwanese football, from the grassroots to the professional level, had to rise massively (‘how can we expect results if we don’t [get] anything?’).

But perhaps the most critical point involved what Chen sees as a lack of long-term thinking within Taiwanese football. His comments come shortly after a chaotic month for the CTFA, which saw the resignation of the mens national team manager and the national technical director, who quit after just six months in the job.

“Every four years, we change everything and start all over again. We finally have something established, but once we change [coaches], it’s all back to zero[…] Some good [ideas] must continue no matter who [is in charge].”

It seems unlikely that there will be any action taken against Chen, who has made no secret of his hopes of reaching 100 caps for Taiwan (he is currently on 94). In the meantime, Chen is supporting the next generation of Taiwanese footballers as he enters the twilight of his own playing career.

Currently playing for Qingdao West Coast in the mainland, Chen confirmed that he will be bringing over a handful of Taiwan’s best young players so that they can be exposed to higher training standards. Having enjoyed a similar experience as a youth by training with a Japanese pro team two decades earlier, Chen is now looking to provide similar opportunities through his own connections;

‘Just like when I went to Yokohama F. Marinos, I really wanted to play professionally after seeing the professional [standards]. I hope to give these young people a [similar] dream, which may inspire their motivation.”

So far, the CTFA or the other sporting bodies within Taiwan have not reacted to Chen’s interview. But by speaking out so publicly, Chen has made it clear that he is unafraid to call for widespread reforms to the way football is run in the country.

Photo Credit: Peng Shanhao (GoGoal)