According to the Beijing Youth Daily, due to teams such as Port, Shenhu, Taishan, and Guoan—major “national player suppliers”—all advancing to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, and with the quarterfinal matches scheduled for August 21 and 22, the national team has been forced to postpone the start date of their training camp until at least August 23, as most national players will not be available.
The Chinese men’s national football team is set to participate in the first round away match against Japan on September 5 and the second round home match against Saudi Arabia on September 10 in the 18-strong tournament. According to the original plan, the national team would have started a new training camp on August 18. To accommodate this, the originally scheduled Chinese Super League (CSL) Round 24 matches on August 24/25 were rescheduled to July, allowing more time for training before the 18-strong tournament.
However, there is now a conflict with scheduling. Previously, strong CSL teams such as Port, Shenhu, Taishan, and Guoan had all advanced to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, meaning that the majority of national players will be participating in the FA Cup quarterfinals on August 21 and 22 with their respective clubs.
Given that the winner of this season’s FA Cup will automatically qualify for next season’s AFC Champions League Elite Tournament, these clubs are taking the cup competition very seriously and intend to field their strongest teams, including national players. In light of this, the national team will respect the competitive interests of the clubs and will not forcibly call up national players during the FA Cup matches.
It is understood that after discussions between the Chinese Football Association (CFA) and the national team coaching staff, it has been decided to postpone the new training camp for the 18-strong tournament until after the FA Cup matches, which means they can begin training no earlier than August 23.
