在都灵的Football Avenue论坛上，我见到了意大利足球传奇人物，吉亚尼·里维拉，1969年的金球奖先生、1970年世界杯意大利的10号。这位AC米兰名宿，和同时期国际米兰马佐拉，为一时瑜亮。里维拉来演讲的话题，是关于青少年足球培训，着重于青少年业余足球培训的各种细节，从”足球父母”如何在配合孩子学业的过程中，将足球作为孩子成长的重要工具，到孩子们训练周期的安排，以及不同年龄组别孩子在接受培训后，教练和父母应该特别注意把握的一些心理培训尺度等等。
当年的”金童”，如今已是七旬长者，里维拉和巴乔一样，都是意大利足协的青少年足球推广大使，这样的”大使”，不是被安排为引发观众尖叫踩踏、临走时挥一挥衣袖的偶像，而是真正加入到青训普及工程中，用自己的专业知识和社会影响力，来着力推动青训的导师。
里维拉的讲述里，从头到尾没有涉及到如何鼓励孩子们去踢球的内容。像国内青训，所谓”校园足球”工程面临的各种问题，里维拉提都不用提——如何吸引孩子们踢球？如何为孩子们争取学校之外的时间？如何提供场地？他关注的更是这些基础问题之上的专业内容，例如他反对意大利很多青训项目从八九岁就将孩子们足球位置明确化，”中卫中锋，不到十岁就进行划分，低龄阶段进步明显，团队成绩会不错，可这会限制孩子踢球的想象力和技术全面性……”
如果里维拉的担忧，也是中国足球青训的挑战，那担忧将不是担忧，而是中国足球之福了。我如是想。足球在意大利，一个顶级联赛被认为衰落超过十年的地方，根本没有”敲开学校大门”的压力。孩子们踢球、父母鼓励和陪伴、学校配合以及提供场所，都是顺理成章的事情。这早就是他们认定的生活常态。
我们的生活常态，则是”敲不开的学校大门”、”足球那么差，为什么要让孩子去踢球？”以及没有场地、没有时间、没有利益目标……哪怕出于所谓安保责任考虑，学校都宁可将操场闲置，不允许孩子们去运动。
黑白已经被颠倒，所以接触到阳光和明净时，中国的孩子们只可能”醉氧”。”醉氧”还是生活幸事，毕竟氧气量增加了，危害在于中国的孩子们不会接受阳光和明净，因为他们只能适应雾霾。
还有多少中国球员能在欧洲踢球？来都灵开会这几天，我听说国青队的王上源，在比利时布鲁日试训，表现相当不错。这样的新闻，十年前听到是欣喜，十年后的今天却是诧异，因为我的雾霾之中，几乎认定中国孩子没法踢球的事实，因为我们的空气都在毒害着足球。王上源在曼城试训过，如果他愿意，在国内打中超，赚得百万年薪也是可能的，但他选择了在欧洲游历的艰险挑战，机遇风险同在。我不知道这个球员是否足够强，然而对这条新闻的反应，我知道自己还在”醉氧”。
王上源以及其他零星冒出的留洋火花，会是”逆生长”的奇迹，抑或昙花一现的片云？在里维拉面前，我连提问的兴趣都没有。我们不属于同一个世界。
John Yan: From Belgium With Hope
He comes from nowhere, and now he plays for Club Brugge, along with players like Eidur Gudjohnsen and Jonathan Blondel.
This is not the wildest football dream that all football kids would be dreaming of, but coming from China with no professional football background, and suddenly playing for one of the prestigious Belgian clubs, scoring his first goal for the club on his debut, which was also the season opener in the Belgian top division, for 20 year old Wang Shangyuan, this is not a bad start for a football career.
And what a goal it was! Against Sporting Charleroi, in the 65th minute, Wang receiving a pass from a short corner, simply belted a thunderous shot 30 metres from the goal, at an impossible angle for the goalkeeper.
I really wanted to write a headline, saying a Chinese star is born, but Wang is only as good as he plays, and this is just a 20 year old whoplays for the China U21 team, and is having his first taste of professional football in Europe. Wang’s performance and especially his goal, is more than encouraging for football in China, however, he is not a Yao Ming who become a franchise player for a NBA team, and football as a sport is the most sophisticated one which demands the most intricate and complicated team work.
Wang made his debut for Club Brugge only a week after he signed his formal contract with the club, before that, he was not a professional footballer. Wang came from a strange football background: he played for Beijing Sangao FC, which is not a serious football club, more like a football academy. Sangao is an attached part of the High School of People’s University in Beijing. This academy has a healthy reputation in cultivating football talents as well as their academic capabilities, therefore, students from Sangao, if they have failed in the professional football route, always have an opportunity to further their studies in universities.
Wang is from Henan province, spotted by Sangao at a young age, then played and studied there. A proper academic circumstance helped his English learning, for Chinese footballers, the mastering of a foreign language could be as important as their football technique if they pursue a career in Europe. He is the captain of the national U21 team, could easily join one of the leading CSL clubs and was a enjoying weekly salary of £2,000, however, his ambition and hard working spirit persuaded him to take the European risk. He had a trial at Manchester City and finally got his chance in Belgium.
It would not be a surprise that Wang might earn less as he joins Club Brugge, but for most Chinese fans, Wang and a few other youngsters playing in Europe and Brazil, represent the slim hope for football in China. Ten years ago, when Sun Jihai etc were playing in Europe, they were seen to be examples that Chinese could play the sport. Nowadays for Wang and the others, Europe could be a survival outlet for potential talents.
Youth development is the lifeline of football in any country, and China has a long way to go for a homeland system.
John Yan is Deputy Editor of Netease.com