Based on a story by CGTN's Zhang Lin, Zhang Anji
New rules implemented into the Chinese Super League (CSL) are already playing out after just one week of action.
As China rolls out a reform plan that football-mad President Xi Jinping hopes will allow the country to win the World Cup one day, one of the most notable new rules is the one stipulating that each team must have a player 23 years old or younger in their line-up.
There are 108 under-23 players registered on teams in the CSL. Only 22 saw game time in the opening round of fixtures. Only five of the youngsters played a full 90 minutes.
The Chinese team in Doha, Qatar during 2016 U23 Asian Cup, on January 18, 2016. /CFP Photo
Three were substituted at half-time, and the average playing time for the 23s was just under 55 minutes, with the shortest stint being a mere 16 minutes. None of the youngsters found the net in the opening week.
There were a fair number of goals, however. Nineteen goals were scored in the opening eight matches. Fourteen of the scorers were foreigners, a statistic which may worry the policymakers seeking to foster more Chinese talent.
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