To thoroughly implement the national and provincial work arrangements regarding the high-quality development of soccer, promote the high-quality development of soccer in our city through targeted initiatives, and in light of local conditions, this Action Plan has been formulated.
I. Enhancing the Quality of School Football Activities. Deepen the reform of school football education and encourage schools at all levels and of all types to include football as a mandatory component of physical education classes. By 2027, the city aims to establish approximately 200 National Youth School Football Model Schools. Support these model schools in hiring full-time football teachers or qualified coaches, and encourage outstanding retired players and coaches to join schools as full-time or part-time football coaches.Select and establish a group of schools dedicated to cultivating future football talent from among the National Youth Campus Football Model Schools. The municipal government, as well as each city (county) and district, shall designate at least two elementary schools and one junior high school for this purpose; the municipal government, Jiangyin City, and Yixing City shall each designate at least one high school. [Responsibility lies with the Municipal Education Bureau, Municipal Sports Bureau, and Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, as well as the people’s governments of each city (county) and district and the Wuxi Economic and Technological Development Zone Management Committee, in accordance with their respective duties]
II. Enhance the Development of Youth Training Systems.By 2027, at least one national or provincial-level youth soccer training center will be established. The municipal soccer team will fully implement the “school-based municipal team” model, with the number of host schools maintained at six or more. Youth training squads will cover all age groups featured in the Provincial Games; the number of elite players in regular training will be maintained at around 300, the number of players in provincial teams at all levels at around 20, and the number of players selected for national teams at all levels at around 6.The Municipal Education Bureau, in conjunction with the Municipal Sports Bureau, will study and formulate policies to facilitate the reasonable cross-district mobility of youth soccer players during school admissions. A seamless “one-stop” academic advancement system linking primary, junior high, and senior high schools will be established, allowing primary and junior high school students to move as part of their school teams within the county and municipal boundaries, respectively, when advancing to the next level.We will encourage qualified higher education institutions to establish soccer majors and recruit high-level athletic teams. We will support the development of community soccer clubs and improve mechanisms for coach certification, honorary incentives, and player referral rewards. [Responsibility lies with the Municipal Sports Bureau, Municipal Education Bureau, Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, and Municipal Finance Bureau, as well as the people’s governments of all cities (counties) and districts, and the Wuxi Economic and Technological Development Zone Management Committee, in accordance with their respective duties]
III. Promoting the Healthy Development of Professional Soccer. Implement support policies for the development of professional soccer, support the growth of professional soccer clubs, and support equity diversification reforms within clubs. Encourage enterprises, social organizations, and capital in Wuxi to invest in clubs. Promote the joint establishment of youth training systems between professional soccer clubs and sports school soccer teams. Advance the construction of facilities for professional soccer clubs through multiple channels; by 2027, establish one professional soccer club training base and strive to have one professional club participate in the Chinese Football Association First Division.State-owned soccer venues shall provide support for professional soccer clubs to host home games. [Municipal Sports Bureau, Municipal Finance Bureau, Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources and Planning, Municipal Culture and Tourism Group, Municipal Taihu New City Group, and Binhu District People’s Government shall be responsible in accordance with their respective duties]
IV. Promoting the Prosperity and Popularization of Community Soccer. Encourage government agencies, subdistricts and communities, social organizations, and enterprises to form soccer teams and leagues, and widely organize various soccer activities. Ensure high-quality execution of all tasks related to hosting the Provincial City Soccer League, leverage the long-tail effect of the event brand to drive the development of mass-participation and youth soccer tournaments such as the “Wuxi Cup,” “Mayor’s Cup,” and “Enterprise Super Cup,” further foster a positive soccer culture, and promote the popularization of community soccer.By 2027, the number of people regularly participating in soccer activities will reach 430,000. The city will have 160 registered amateur soccer teams and 2,500 registered players, with no fewer than 800 certified community soccer instructors. [Responsibility lies with the Municipal Sports Bureau, the people’s governments of all cities (counties) and districts, and the Wuxi Economic and Technological Development Zone Administrative Committee, in accordance with their respective duties]
V. Establish a Diversified Football Competition System. Organize various football events and activities accessible to the public each year, forming a comprehensive matrix of competitions spanning professional, amateur, school, and community levels. Support various market entities in bidding for major international events and invitational tournaments for the Chinese national teams. Focus on developing the “Wuxi Cup” Football League, aiming to make it a nationally benchmark 11-a-side amateur football league at the prefecture-level city tier.Enhance the two municipal-level youth soccer event brands: the “Mayor’s Cup” Wuxi Youth School Soccer League and the “Wuxi Cup” Elementary School Super League. Effectively organize home matches for professional soccer clubs. [Responsibility lies with the Municipal Sports Bureau, the Municipal Education Bureau, the Municipal Culture and Tourism Group, the Municipal Taihu New Town Group, and the people’s governments of all cities (counties) and districts, as well as the Wuxi Economic and Technological Development Zone Management Committee, in accordance with their respective duties]
VI. Expand the Supply of Soccer Facilities. Guided by the goals of public fitness and soccer popularization, make rational use of parks and green spaces to construct various types of integrated soccer facilities. By 2027, the city will have no fewer than 10 newly built, renovated, or expanded integrated soccer fields, with a total new construction area of no less than 10,000 square meters. Strengthen the construction and open-access sharing of school soccer facilities, and promote the full opening of eligible school sports venues during after-school hours and holidays.The Olympic Sports Center soccer field will be put into use, and one professional soccer field will be completed. Support will be provided to Xishan District and Binhu District for the construction of 11-a-side natural grass public soccer fields. [The Municipal Sports Bureau, the Municipal Development and Reform Commission, the Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources and Planning, the Municipal Bureau of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Municipal Education Bureau, the Municipal Finance Bureau, the Municipal Culture and Tourism Group, the Municipal Taihu New City Group, the people’s governments of all cities (counties) and districts, and the Wuxi Economic and Technological Development Zone Management Committee shall be responsible in accordance with their respective duties]
VII. Strengthen International Exchange and Cooperation in Soccer. Select promising young soccer talents to participate in study-abroad training programs in soccer-developed countries, and invite international youth soccer teams to Wuxi for exchange matches. Incorporate soccer into East-West collaboration, paired assistance cooperation, and Yangtze River Delta city exchange projects; conduct regular exchanges and interactions with the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and cities in the Yangtze River Delta region; and host the annual Wuxi-Suzhou “New Year Cup” Soccer Exchange Tournament.Actively organize teams to participate in the Provincial City Football League. [Responsibility lies with the Municipal Sports Bureau, the Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, and the Municipal Development and Reform Commission, in accordance with their respective duties; the People’s Governments of all cities (counties) and districts, and the Wuxi Economic and Technological Development Zone Management Committee shall assume responsibility in accordance with their respective duties]
VIII. Promote Oversight of Professional Conduct in Football. Improve industry standards and regulations, and strengthen supervision of football associations and professional clubs at all levels. Continue to address issues related to competition conduct and professional ethics, with a focus on publicity, education, and follow-up supervision in key areas such as professional leagues, youth competitions, and amateur leagues.Strictly crack down on all types of illegal and criminal activities in the football sector. Improve the joint governance mechanism between sports administrative departments, disciplinary inspection and supervision agencies, and public security organs; establish a normalized and long-term mechanism for anti-corruption efforts in football; and improve the risk monitoring, early warning, and joint disciplinary mechanisms for “match-fixing, gambling, and organized crime.” [Responsibility lies with the Municipal Sports Bureau, the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision, the Municipal Public Security Bureau, the Municipal Education Bureau, and the people’s governments of all cities (counties) and districts, as well as the Wuxi Economic and Technological Development Zone Management Committee, in accordance with their respective duties]
IX. Foster a Positive and Uplifting Atmosphere for Football. Strengthen the management of football-related news and public opinion guidance; innovate publicity methods, broaden publicity channels, and diversify publicity platforms; raise public awareness of the importance of developing football; cultivate public interest in football; effectively tell the story of Wuxi football; and create a strong atmosphere of active support for and participation in the development of football.By 2027, incubate 3–5 mature and stable fan organizations to create a favorable environment for the development of soccer in our city. [Responsibility lies with the Municipal Sports Bureau, the Municipal Publicity Department, the Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism, the Municipal Radio and Television Group, and the Municipal Press Group, in accordance with their respective duties]
X. Increase Financial Investment and Support. Effectively coordinate the use of fiscal funds and social resources to advance the cultivation of youth soccer talent, support public-benefit soccer competitions in industries and communities, and facilitate international and domestic soccer cooperation and exchanges. Provide rewards to youth teams that achieve outstanding results in national and higher-level competitions. [Responsibility lies with the Municipal Finance Bureau, Municipal Sports Bureau, and the people’s governments of each city (county) and district, as well as the Wuxi Economic and Technological Development Zone Management Committee, in accordance with their respective duties]
All relevant departments at all levels must further strengthen leadership over football-related work, actively participate, coordinate efforts, and enhance communication. They should effectively break down tasks and ensure implementation at every level. Sports administrative departments must conscientiously fulfill their duties, establish coordination mechanisms such as regular working meetings, strengthen overall planning and coordination, and ensure the implementation of the action plan’s measures.
