CFA forges path for talent to blossom abroad

New plan aims to support youth players looking to develop their game overseas

More than two decades ago, when Shao Jiayi first trained in Germany, he entered an unfamiliar world with little support. He did not understand the language, managed life on his own, and faced far greater training intensity than expected, with little sense of how far the path might lead.

At the time, pursuing an overseas career was less of a structured pathway and more of a leap of faith.