There is no day without wind. This time, the Chinese national football team has come forward to clarify the baggage controversy.
On the 10th (Korea time), Chinese media outlet Sohu reported, “The men’s football team, which participated in the recent East Asian Cup, has been criticized for bringing too much luggage to Korea. There is a rumor circulating that ‘the underachievers only have a lot of stationery.’ The national team revealed that they checked in 140 bags, of which 56 were team equipment luggage.”
China is participating in the 2025 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup), which is being held in Korea. This tournament, conducted for both men and women, started with the opening match between Korea and China on the 7th and will run until the 16th. In the men’s division, Korea, China, Japan, and Hong Kong are competing for the championship.
Ahead of the tournament, there was considerable anticipation in China. There were speculations that interim coach Dejan Djurdjevic could generate surprises by focusing on young players. The fact that the tournament is not held during the International Football Federation (FIFA) A-match period, allowing Korea and Japan to form teams solely with domestic players, also boosted confidence.
In practice, the Hong Myung-bo team focused on selecting players and real-game testing. Coach Hong Myung-bo experimented with several players based on a ‘surprise three-back’ formation. Kim Moon-hwan made his first appearance since November of last year, and Park Seung-wook received his first starting opportunity in an A-match. Kim Bong-soo made his A-match debut.
Nevertheless, China was no match at all. Korea created opportunities easily by breaking through China’s strong pressing with a higher level of movement and buildup. The first goal came early; in the 8th minute of the first half, Lee Dong-gyeong scored with a fantastic left-footed shot.
The game was one-sided from then on. In the 21st minute of the first half, Korea secured an additional goal with a powerful header from Joo Min-kyu following a cross by Lee Tae-seok and extended the lead to 3-0 with Kim Joo-seong’s debut goal in the 12th minute of the second half. Meanwhile, in the second half, China utilized several substitutions, including Brazilian naturalized player Sai Er Jiniaow (Serginho), but could not record a single effective shot throughout the 90 minutes, highlighting the skill gap.
It was effectively a loss to Korea’s second team. Discontent erupted among Chinese fans due to the overwhelming defeat. Commentator Liu Zhenhong noted, “Korean football is top-tier in Asia, while Chinese football is third-tier. In this match, the top team (Korea) played well as expected, and the third-tier team performed according to its level. China’s 0-3 defeat was an inevitable result,” and sighed, “Korea can easily dominate China with only K-League players.”
After the match, the large amounts of luggage belonging to the Chinese national team also stirred controversy. Social media platform Weibo captured Chinese players moving with numerous suitcases at the airport, drawing criticism. Some fans mocked that the players were not just there to shop in Korea.
As criticism grew, the Chinese national team quickly stepped forward to clarify. Sohu reported, “According to the national team’s statement, the total number of personnel participating in this East Asian Cup is 51, with 140 checked bags. Among them, 84 are personal luggage, and 56 are team equipment luggage. The equipment luggage consists of items necessary for team training and participation in the tournament.”
Additionally, the media explained, “The national team players carried only a small amount of personal luggage for convenience in transporting their bags after arriving in Korea and reducing airport stay time. They also displayed good teamwork by helping transport team members' equipment. The team had no choice but to carry a large amount of equipment simultaneously to ensure training, performance, and rehabilitation during the tournament period.”
Since they have to stay in Korea for over ten days, the luggage for the team and coaching staff was bound to be substantial. The Chinese national team disclosed detailed information, stating they have 21 pieces of equipment for field training, 9 for competition, 3 for technical analysis, and 23 medical luggage.
Nevertheless, fans' views remain harsh. Chinese fans commented, “Football is mediocre. It consumes so many public resources,” “If that much money were spent on pig farming, pork prices would drop a bit,” “Just like my son, both results and baggage aren’t light,” and “A few dumplings and some bottles of mineral water would be sufficient. After all, no results will come out.”
[Photo] Chinese national team, Sohu homepage.
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