Feature: French coach finds long-term mission in China's youth football

Frenchman Sebastien Brevot-Choplin (C), who has been focusing on youth football training in Sanya for 3 years, instructs young players at a park in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, Nov. 29, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)

HAIKOU, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- As evening sets in, the lights at Sanya Football Park flicker on one by one. On the pitch, a coach completes a short set of core exercises, then stands up and signals for training to continue. Nearby, several children gather around, listening carefully.

The coach is Sebastien Brevot-Choplin. This is the Frenchman's third year working in Sanya, in south China's Hainan Province, where he has been focusing on youth football training.

Sebastien previously served as a technical director at French champion Paris Saint-Germain and has spent many years working in youth football development. His career has taken him to Egypt, Lebanon, Thailand, Morocco and Canada. "I have always worked with young players," he noted. "That is where football really begins."

As his career progressed, Sebastien began to consider settling down in one place and continuing his work over the long term. "For me, China represents the ultimate project and the culmination of my career," he added. After learning more about Hainan from a business partner, he chose Sanya.

"The climate and lifestyle here remind me of the Cote d'Azur in France, where I lived for many years," he recalled. "More importantly, I saw opportunities to do real work in youth football."

Now based in Yazhou Bay, Sebastien runs a sports company dedicated to youth football training and cooperates with several schools in Sanya. Over the past three years, he has worked closely with local schools to develop training programs. "The children here have a lot of energy and potential," he observed.

During a training break, he invited a seven-year-old boy to demonstrate a dribbling move. The technique was still basic, but Sebastien nodded in encouragement. "Football is not only about competition," he explained. "It helps children build confidence, learn discipline and understand teamwork."

Sebastien says working with young players in China is not fundamentally different from working elsewhere. "Football is a game of observation," he pointed out. "You need to watch and understand. You don't need many words." Using a few simple Chinese instructions, he communicates smoothly with his players on the field.

While visiting partner schools, Sebastien noticed that many campuses have football pitches and teams, but few opportunities for regular competitions. "Matches are very important," he stressed. "More games and more exchanges help players improve faster." He has since promoted the idea of a local school football championship and invited youth teams from other cities to train and play in Sanya. Last summer, a youth team from Beijing took part in joint training sessions.

Sebastien added that his work has been aided by the support services in the Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City. "What attracted me to Sanya was its friendly environment for foreign entrepreneurs," he said, citing the convenience of registration and daily operations.

Looking ahead, he hopes to expand youth football programs, support school competitions and train more local coaches. "Children in Sanya must continue to dream of football," he said. "If one day more Chinese players stand on the world stage, I will be proud to know I was part of that process." ■

Frenchman Sebastien Brevot-Choplin (L), who has been focusing on youth football training in Sanya for 3 years, talks with his colleague in a sports company at Yazhou Bay in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, Nov. 29, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)