China to launch fifth-tier football league by 2020

China is planning to include county-level football into its football league system, according to a Weibo post by the sports blogger @Sealango.

Starting from the AFC President Recognition Award for Grassroots Football, the Asian Football Association is expected to restart its Vision Asia project, seeing China, Singapore and Bhutan as the strategic pilot places for grassroots football.

As part of the project, China was represented by 10 cities including Dalian, Qingdao, Wuhan and Chengdu in its grassroots football plan for 2002 to 2012, boosting the development of local amateur football and city leagues.

For the new-circle grassroots football plan, China is seeking to cover 100 counties throughout the country. Specifically, much effort will be made to evaluate and improve county-level leagues and clubs as well as the establishment of community football.

By the year 2020, China is expected to establish the “Chinese 100-county Club Champions League”, a fifth-tier national league following the Chinese Football Association Amateur League. According to the plan, the winner of each county-level league can play in the Champions League, while the League champion can participate in Asian amateur football events on behalf of China.

Source: Sohu

Proofread by William Logsdon