To be world-class, Thai football must invest in youth

The roller-coaster of Thai football appears to be zooming upward at the moment. Fans had been complaining bitterly about the poor performance of the national team. Many of us lost faith in the game’s management and the domestic professional league, while the notion that Thai footballers could make a career out of the sport seemed fanciful. But now, to the fans’ delight, the jigsaw-puzzle pieces seem finally to be falling into place, with Thailand climbing the regional rankings and showing the world we can play.

Thailand today clash with Malaysia in the AFF Suzuki Cup, otherwise known as the Asean Championship. Thai fans will be raring to get behind the team after their excellent start to the tournament. On Sunday, crowd-favourite Charyl Chappuis was named man-of-the-match after capping a dominant performance in midfield by scoring a penalty in the dying minutes against hosts Singapore and earning three points for Thailand. 

The name of Thai-Swiss midfielder Chappuis was roared out regularly on Sunday, but he’s not the only one making fans proud. A number of home-grown stars are beginning to shine. Among them is Muang Thong United striker Teerasil Dangda, currently on loan at Almeria in Spain’s La Liga – one of the world’s top leagues. 

Teerasil’s leap onto the world stage would have been next to impossible without the Thailand Premier League (TPL), which spots the nation’s finest young footballers and grooms them with regular training before they make the grade as fully fledged professionals playing week in and week out. 

If our top league continues to develop along the right path, Thailand could soon graduate from merely a football-crazy nation to an Asian powerhouse with players as strong as those boasted by South Korea and Japan. We are getting there. The league has begun to attract foreign stars in the twilight of their careers. One-time Liverpool and England striker Robbie Fowler played for a spell here and now Nicolas Anelka has been linked with a move to newly promoted TPL side Nakhon Ratchasima Mazda FC after the club failed in a bid to sign fellow Arsenal great Thierry Henry.

The presence of foreign stars signals that, not only is the league doing well financially, it is gaining the international recognition to attract big names. Though it might not be the top league in Asia, the TPL is receiving increasing attention. Underlining that point is US-based Fox TV showing interest in broadcasting rights. 

But while the TPL has got off on the right foot, the country’s football showcase still has plenty of room for improvement. First and foremost, every club needs to set up a youth academy, scout for young talents and give them high-standard training. As it stands, some of our most talented young players are stuck at clubs whose lack of international-standard facilities is holding back their progress. 

Instead they need a solid foundation, which requires that all TPL clubs invest serious money in their football academies and consider founding a national youth league. Training young talents could be a waste of time and resources unless they can play regular competitive games. Once the system is in place, Thailand could produce stars not just for the national team but also to export to the biggest leagues in the world.

In line with the establishment of youth academies is increased investment in the coaching system. Currently, only the TPL’s richest clubs are employing certified coaches. To leapfrog to the international level, all clubs need to invest more in coaching so as to improve their ability to spot talent and guide young players towards technical excellence. Look at the success of Japan’s J-League and what stands out is the prominent role played by leading international coaches. 

Great stadiums and foreign stars can only “supplement” the healthy growth of the country’s league. For Thai football to make a great leap forward what we need most is a solid foundation. In soccer there is no such thing as overnight success. We must play the long game, and start by investing now in the future in our young, home-grown players.