Soccer - Blatter tells China to start developing youth

FIFA's President Sepp Blatter smiles during a news conference in Beijing August 21, 2008. China must develop a solid youth policy if they want to succeed at soccer, Blatter said on Thursday.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China must develop a solid youth policy if they want to succeed at soccer, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Thursday.

China recently failed to make the final stage of the Asian World Cup qualifiers and were knocked out at the group stage of the Olympic tournament, which is for under-23 teams with three overage players allowed per side.

"There are no miracles in football. You have to start to organise youth competitions before you can succeed at a higher level," Blatter told reporters.

"There is hard work to be done," added Blatter, who went on to read a list of teams which had done well in the World under-20 and World under-17 championships. "Where football is developed at youth level, you have a good national team.

Despite the popularity of the sport, China have made only one World Cup appearance in 2002 and recent results have been getting worse rather than better.

Blatter also criticised the Olympic host nation for hiring big-name foreign coaches and then sacking them as soon as results went against them.

"They should start again with the young players and not artificially try to bring in the best from somewhere for the national team and to change them every year," Blatter said.

"There must be some continuity, there must be a plan. Of course, the people will not be happy when they see the men's team go out in the first round."

Dutchman Arie Haan coached China's senior team for just over two years and was replaced in 2005 by Zhu Guanghu, who was sacked after first-round elimination at the 2007 Asian Cup.

Former Yugoslavia international Vladimir Petrovic was then brought in, but he lasted only 10 months.

After being fired, he complained that he could have brought more success if he had been given more time.

In another controversial move, Olympic coach Ratomir Dujkovic was stripped of control of the team in July, less than a month before the start of the Beijing Games.

Yin Tiesheng was entrusted with the running of the team while Dujkovic's role was limited to offering technical analysis.