Members of the women’s national soccer team yesterday called for sports authorities to reorganize coaching staff, citing a lack of professionalism and poor grasp of sports science.
Taiwan’s string of defeats were due to “chaotic” coaching at the Taiwan Sports Training Center and poor support from the Chinese Taipei Football Association(CTFA) and the Ministry of Sports, the Taiwan Women’s Football Player Association wrote on Facebook.
The team on March 19 were blanked 4-0 by North Korea in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup playoffs, missing the chance to secure an early berth for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year.
Photo courtesy of the Chinese Taipei Football Association
They can still qualify through the inter-confederation playoffs to be held late this year and early next year.
The players’ association called for reorganizing coaching staff, establishing feedback mechanisms and ensuring accountability of the people managing teams.
The coaching staff’s lack of professionalism and grasp of sport science led to an excessive training load, resulting in injuries that benched players from the game against North Korea, the athletes said in the joint statement.
Several athletes sustained nonimpact injuries, including one who had a 4.75cm muscle tear that not only harmed the team, but caused “significant and irreversible damage” to the affected player’s career, they said.
The coaching staff showed poor tactical leadership and had no understanding of their responsibility or role in guiding the team, leading to a breakdown of trust, which demoralized the team, the statement said.
The coaches had no clear strategy for matches and did not provide the kind of training necessary to field a competitive team, it said.
For example, the coaches drew up no plan before the team’s match against Japan at the Asian Cup, forcing the players to come up with their own strategy, it said.
The staff gave vague instructions regarding key tactical decisions, including the assignment of responsibility in defensive zones, leaving players confused during high-stress matches, the statement said.
They offered no unified vision and frequently reversed instructions to athletes, making it impossible for the players to follow their plans, it said.
Arbitrary player selection, failure to conduct mandatory medical examinations and the exclusion of players who have been trained over the past two years specifically for international games raised doubts about the staff’s competence, it added.
The CTFA said that its chairman Chang Tsan (張璨) and technical committee have launched a full review, and an independent probe would be conducted with a report expected to be completed within 30 days and submitted to the association.
It said it takes the allegations — such as the muscle tear, training load, communication issues, and tactical and management concerns — seriously and views players as vital, irreplaceable assets.
The statement from the players reflects deep, structural issues at the national team, the CTFA said, adding that it would use the criticism as a turning point to drive comprehensive reforms, professionalizing and institutionalizing team governance, player selection and training systems.
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