Academic pressure

So why is China struggling to produce a new generation of stars to follow in Sun and Yang's footsteps?

Shao believes a major reason behind the talent vacuum is the academic pressure faced by children these days.

"I remember when I was young, I could have soccer training every day after school, but it is hard for children to do that now because of the academic pressure on them," said Shao.

"For the same reason, many parents won't allow their children to play soccer for too long.

"We should send more children to the soccer field and help them balance the sport and their life through the support of the government."