Feature: Serbian coach igniting passion of young Chinese footballers

TIANJIN, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Jovan Lutkic's jubilation with his young players after the final match of a national youth championship shows another success in his coaching life in China.

The 52-year-old and his young team clinched a 7-0 victory in the final of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) U-13 Futsal National Championship last week.

The Serbian has served as a coach for the youth training center of the municipal football association in north China's Tianjin since the beginning of 2019.

Lutkic has exchanged his football training ideas and education methods with local coaches to improve the skills and physical conditioning of young Chinese footballers.

"The goal of working with Chinese trainers is that they actively participate in training and share their observations and suggestions with me. Four eyes see better than two eyes," he said.

In everyday training, the primary prop is the ball, regardless of the phase of training, and the coach emphasizes the details of each exercise.

"Detail matters a lot for players at a young age. I need to tell them what is right, what is wrong, and how to improve," Lutkic said.

Duan Yonglu, a local coach who has cooperated with Lutkic for over four years, thinks highly of the Serbian coach for his responsibility, high-level skills and creative education methods.

"Some of Jovan's tactics are bold and impressive," Duan smiled.

Two coaches recalled a challenging competition of their U9 team in a national championship in 2019.

"In the final match, we beat a team we had lost to in the group stage. My task was to convince the boys to believe in themselves, to be relaxed, to play the way we had practiced in training, and to be aggressive like tigers. I told them to never back down even if they faced a strong rival," Lutkic said.

Lutkic's last sentences were a question and answer:

"Do you know how to become a champion?"

"When it's the hardest, you go out on the field and win."

"These young players did it. They won the championship with a 2-0 victory in the final," Duan said.

Chong Yong, vice president and secretary-general of the Tianjin Football Association, said that Tianjin attaches great importance to the cultivation of young sporting talents.

The association has not only invited coaches from countries like Serbia and Spain, but has also launched many exchange programs between the young footballers of China and other countries.

"The overseas coaches have a great passion for football. I hope they can influence the young generation," Chong said.

"Football has been my toy since I could run," said Lutkic, who spent almost all his spare time in his childhood playing football with friends. "A space between buildings and an abandoned parking lot can be a perfect football pitch."

The Serbian thinks that his coaching experience in China is "very challenging and meaningful", and he fits well with his current job.

To get more inspiration in coaching, he often talks with Chinese coaches about other sports like basketball and handball. "Some tactics from these sports can be applied to football," he said.

The young players have become familiar with and benefited a lot from the cooperative coaching of Lutkic and Duan.

"We can immediately understand the coaches' intention, even from Jovan's subtle facial expression, and a whistle from Duan," said 13-year-old goalkeeper Liu Ruijunxi.

Lutkic has decided to continue coaching here in Tianjin, "I phoned my son Sergej yesterday. He is full of longing for China. I want to bring my wife and him to China and continue my football dream."