Zhangjiakou: A Model of Football Development in a Small City

Chief Reporter Chen Yong reports After the nation firmly expressed its determination to promote the revitalization of Chinese football, the local efforts and actual results have been less than satisfactory. The recent popularity of amateur leagues across the country is still a result of the pressure from the "Super League." Following the national football work conference, we naturally look forward to a comprehensive change in this situation.

Recently, the reporter received an unexpected invitation: "You should take a look at Zhangjiakou, a small city with a less developed economy, where the development of football exceeds your imagination." After the on-site interview, the reporter realized that this is actually a typical example of local football work.

Zhangjiakou is located in the northwest of Hebei Province, with a total population of only 4.03 million and a permanent resident population of just 800,000 in the main urban area. It was the main competition area for snow sports during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. After the Olympics, the municipal party committee and government accelerated the development of the post-Olympic economy, using sports as a key driver for building the Beijing-Zhangjiakou sports and cultural tourism belt, with a clear strategy to develop ice and snow sports as well as football. In terms of football, whether it’s campus football, youth training, or social football development, Zhangjiakou has achieved astonishing results, summarized as: daring to break through, actively innovating, adept at coordination, and focusing on key areas. Its football development is rare among small and medium-sized cities in the country.

In just two days, from the Zhangjiakou Ice and Snow Sports School in the Winter Olympic Village of Chongli District to the urban area of Zhangjiakou, the panorama of Zhangjiakou football unfolded before the reporter's eyes:

Before the State Council's executive meeting on December 16, 2024, which studied the promotion of football revitalization, and prior to the release of related policy documents on national football revitalization, on November 11, 2024, the "3+4" integrated training program of the Zhangjiakou Ice and Snow Sports School officially received approval from the Hebei Provincial Department of Education, with the football project achieving integration with Hebei North University. This reflects Zhangjiakou football's daring to break through. The school has established three teams for the 09/10, 11/12, and 13/14 age groups, with the 13/14 team recently winning the U12 group championship at the Hebei Youth Football Championship.

Another noteworthy aspect is the reform of Zhangjiakou's "large sports school": the sports school has shifted from purely training functions to management functions. Through venue coordination, talent incubation, and grading assessments, it comprehensively guides the development of campus football, youth training, and social football. The Zhangjiakou Sports School and the Zhangjiakou Football Association form a functional division of "foundation + events," while the Zhangjiakou Ice and Snow Sports School creates a development pattern of "popularization + enhancement."

Youth football competitions have fully integrated sports education, with 246 teams participating in the 2025 season, totaling 1,132 matches. The high school group will implement a home-and-away match system starting in 2025.

In social football, a comprehensive system has been established for 5-a-side (four-tier promotion and relegation), 8-a-side (four-tier promotion and relegation), 11-a-side leagues, and various special football events, with 336 teams participating and 1,345 matches held. The outdoor competition period lasts for eight months, while the remaining four months are allocated for indoor and snow matches, achieving a schedule layout of "matches every day" and "major events every week." More importantly, the event system implements semi-professional management: measures such as foreign players, transfer fees, live broadcasts, and simplified VAR have been introduced to attract a large number of citizens to watch the matches and gain support from numerous sponsors.

In line with the national football revitalization standards, Zhangjiakou has recognized its shortcomings in professional football. The city is about to form a team to compete in the China League and aim for professional leagues. Other related football measures include: the normalization of a joint meeting system for integrating sports and education, which has resolved issues regarding pathways to higher education; the implementation of youth sports skill level assessments, coach level assessments, and star ratings for social clubs; and the improvement of support, subsidies, rewards, and incentive measures.

Particularly, the Ice and Snow Sports School has transformed the traditional sports school education model that emphasizes training over culture. It adheres to the principle of "one team, one coach, with resources allocated accordingly," ensuring that education is not neglected while training is ongoing. It emphasizes ideological and political education and implements militarized management, with students participating in morning exercises and singing the national anthem daily, maintaining strict discipline and a spirited demeanor.

Is it difficult to replicate Zhangjiakou's comprehensive football development model nationwide? The answer is: actually, it’s not difficult at all; it’s as simple as can be, requiring just dedication. The commitment of the Zhangjiakou municipal party committee, government, and sports bureau to football development is reflected in several aspects:

(1) Clear and determined goals. They consistently concentrate quality resources, including financial, material, and human resources, to support the development of ice and snow sports and football as key projects.

(2) Implementation without compromise. Guided by the "Ten Measures for Building a Strong Sports City" released by the Zhangjiakou municipal government, 18 detailed measures and management methods covering various aspects have been introduced. These measures are highly actionable and can be directly implemented, laying a policy foundation for the reform and development of football projects.

(3) Focus on public demand and market development. The Zhangjiakou Super League, covering youth and social football, has been held since 2018, with continuous adjustments and innovations to the competition system each year. To ensure high standards for the events, 5-a-side venues and 8-a-side venues have been built at the Citizen Square and the National Fitness Center, respectively. Plans are underway to add elevated seating to enhance the viewing experience while providing more services for citizens, attracting several local businesses to sponsor the events.

(4) Respect for professional principles. Relevant measures and plans for youth training development have been communicated with professionals such as Jia Xiuquan and Chen Tao before clear directions are given.

(5) Combining management and incentives. On one hand, management is strengthened, and on the other, incentive mechanisms are enhanced. After the reform of the incentive mechanism, the highest bonus income for football coaches at the municipal sports school has increased threefold.

(6) Adhering to on-site inspections to ensure implementation. The main responsible person of the municipal sports bureau consistently works on the front line, raising more questions and directly discussing solutions.

In recent years, the "Chengyang Model" (venue construction) centered on utilizing available spaces for both students and citizens, the "Jinan Model" (campus football events) based on a mid-week home-and-away match system, and the "Chongqing Model" (youth training events) centered on weekend competitions, including the current combination of cultural tourism with "Village Super" and "Super League" (amateur league system), all fundamentally revolve around dedication. It reflects the government's sense of responsibility, empathy with citizens, and meticulous working methods.

The advocate of the "Chengyang Model," former Chengyang District Party Secretary Sun Lijie, gave up a potential land transfer fee of 200 million yuan for a prime site, instead spending 40 million yuan to build a large comprehensive sports park—the Chengyang District Citizen Sports Park. He famously stated, "The development of the city should not lose places for playing football just because high-rise buildings are springing up. Once we build the football fields, they will not turn into residential buildings or commercial centers in the future." In Zhangjiakou, where land resources are extremely limited, to ensure the development of social football, with the support of the municipal party committee and government, and the full promotion of the municipal sports bureau, a 5-a-side football field was built at the entrance of the municipal government, while an 8-a-side football field was constructed in the backyard of the sports bureau.

In a small city with an underdeveloped economy, an outstanding typical example has emerged in football. If about half of the city-level municipalities across the country could even just "copy and paste," the development of Chinese football might present a completely new landscape.