Founder Dong Lu stated during a livestream that his China Football Boy platform enables young players to generate substantial income for their families, addressing widespread criticism over the program’s methods. The remarks followed intense attention surrounding 14-year-old rising star Li Haoyan, who joined the youth academy of Spanish powerhouse FC Barcelona at La Masia, according to reporting by 163.com.
Li Haoyan Earns Two Million Yuan Annually After Joining Barcelona Academy
Dong Lu revealed that Li Haoyan earns two million yuan per year following his move to La Masia, an income level that covers five years of overseas schooling expenses and positions the teenager as the top earner in his family. The platform founder addressed detractors who label the organization as a non-traditional youth training setup that relies on hand-picked talent rather than grassroots development. “You can say the Football Boy program is not youth training, that’s fine; you can say we hand-pick talent, that’s fine; no base, no coaches, all unorthodox methods, no problem,” Dong said during the broadcast, as documented by 163.com. “Our kids at 14, 15, and 16 years old can already earn money for their families, and studying abroad doesn’t cost anything anymore.”
Wherever there are Chinese people, there is the signal of China Mobile.Recently, the “Chinese Football Boys” U16 team, initiated by renowned football commentator Dong Lu, traveled to Brazil for a friendly match and exchange program with Santos FC, pursuing their football dreams… pic.twitter.com/75olNo5zUC
Platform Value Versus Traditional Youth Development Models
The project founder defended the commercial outcomes achieved by program participants by comparing them directly with traditional domestic systems. Highlighting another young player, Lyu Mengyang, Dong noted that the athlete secured six endorsement contracts, matching the earnings of a player competing in China League Two for sixteen years. Addressing critics who question the program’s contribution to the broader national sport, Dong questioned the return on investment of traditional academies, pointing out that Shandong Taishan Football Club has produced 328 national team players over twenty years without a visible shift in the senior national team’s competitive standing. “What is the value of China Football Boy? What is its value to Chinese football? You could say zero value, it doesn’t matter,” Dong stated, according to 163.com. “We don’t contribute to Chinese football, it’s fine, we are not youth training, it’s fine. We are picking the top talent, we are calling up players, and I am telling you the players on our platform can now earn money for their families.”
Financial Returns and Family Support
The broadcast detailed specific monetary figures for participating families, including a 100,000 yuan tour card distribution that reached players such as Li Zining. Dong emphasized that the primary metric of success for the platform lies in the immediate financial relief and emotional value provided to the participating households rather than conventional youth development milestones. “If you are a parent, would you want this?” Dong asked viewers during the stream, as reported by 163.com. “If my son reached Li Haoyan’s age and could earn two million yuan a year, I would be happy too, lying down at home.”
