The 2018 Panda Cup International Youth Football Development Seminar, hosted by the CFA and undertaken by Chengdu Football Association, was held in Chengdu on May 26, 2018. CFA Executive Committee Member Cai Yong, Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Sports Deputy Director Gao Wei, CFA Executive Committee Member and Chengdu Football Association President Gu Jianming, CFA Executive Committee Member Gao Hongbo and Sun Wen, and more than 150 CFA certified professional level and level A coaches attended the seminar. Head coaches of the teams of the Panda Cup and youth training experts were invited to share their expertise in youth training.

FIFA and UEFA instructor John Peacock gave a keynote speech at the seminar with the themes of Prepare a Football Match in Different Ways and The Trends of Elite Football Development. With the examples of England U17 and U19 teams’ preparation for international tournaments, he elaborated the strategies in in early and middle stage training for England national teams before international matches, explaining how to scout and choose elite footballers, and how to help elite players advance to the national team. Although the Chinese U19 national team defeated their England counterpart in the Panda Cup, the Chinese football has a lot to do to catch up with the world's leaders. Cheng Yaodong, the head coach of the Chinese U19 national team, listened to the lecture carefully and hopes to improve the team’s performance in their future training.

CFA Youth Training Director Christian Damiano gave a keynote speech with the theme of Allocation and Management of European Youth Training Centers. He expounded the guiding principles of leading European youth training centers, compared the developments of China’s youth training centers with European ones, and concluded the gap between the two sides. Damiano pointed out that we can only find the right path for China’s football development by losing no sight to the gap. China’s youth football training has taken a right path and it is hoped that it can cultivate more and more football talent.

Apart from that, Hungary U19 national team head coach briefed the developments of Hungarian youth training system. Mr. Zapata, La Liga Competition Department Official, detailed the management ideas of the Spanish Primera Liga. CFA Registration Department Senior Official Ma Meng gave a detailed lecture on young player transfer with the theme Introduction of Young Player Transfer Compensation System. He elaborated the possible problems during the transfer and the solutions for them. CFA Licensing Inspection Department Senior Supervisor Qiao Daihu detailed the requests for multiple-tier teams building in CFA club licensing inspection.

At the end of the seminar, CFA Executive Committee Member and Chengdu Football Association President Gu Jianming gave a closing address on behalf of the CFA and Chengdu Football Association. Gu said that the Panda Cup International Youth Football Development Seminar had become a learning and communication platform that aims at improving youth football training since its inception in 2014. It is hoped that the coaches from member associations across China can introduce leading training guidelines in their work and improve youth training in China.

(edit：李鑫)