After spending several days training with elite soccer coaches from Serbia, 13-year-old sixth-grader Zhao Chenqi can dream of becoming the next Lionel Messi or Christiano Ronaldo.

Eight coaches from Serbia's Red Star Belgrade soccer club arrived recently in Shenyang, Liaoning province, to begin a yearlong effort to help improve the technical ability and competitiveness of young soccer players in the city.

"The coaches from Red Star bring advanced concepts and professional training methods," said Zhao, who attends Northeast Yucai School in Shenyang. "I believe the training will greatly improve my soccer skills."

Zhao began playing soccer at age 5. He has won several championships at different levels of competition and was chosen to participate in the Red Star training courses through a rigorous selection process.

"The foreign coaches are very strict in the details of the training, but they constantly encourage every athlete to improve," he said. "I hope I get a chance to participate in the World Cup someday and win glory for my country."

Djordje Cirkovic, the club's head coach, was deeply impressed by the city when he attended the 2023 Shenyang Peace Cup International Juvenile Soccer Tournament in August.

"The charm of this beautiful city left a deep impression on me, and my team and I are very willing to work here," he said.

"During the tournament, I also gained a more direct understanding of the level of youth soccer in Shenyang. This time, I hope to bring the advanced training philosophy of our club to help improve the skills of Shenyang's youth."

To promote the development of soccer in Shenyang, the city's sports bureau formed a special team that conducted research in Serbia last year. It gained a detailed understanding of the Serbian development process, training methods and sports culture and had in-depth discussions about cooperation with Red Star Belgrade. The club appointed eight coaches with rich teaching experience and unique insights for cultivating young players.

In the coming year, the coaching team will settle in at Shenyang Sports School and select key schools to conduct daily youth soccer training. The coaches will be mainly responsible for organizing boys' soccer teams in Shenyang in various age groups — under 17, under 15, under 13, under 11 and under 9. They will develop training plans for each group and participate in various competitions.

They will also train local soccer coaches.

Song Li, director of Shenyang Sports Bureau, said the Serbian coaches will introduce advanced soccer training concepts that will improve the youth training system.

"Over the coming year, the foreign coaches will work closely with Chinese coaches," she said. "We are looking forward to using soccer as a bridge and bond for strengthening international sports exchanges through high-quality international events that will enhance the city's image and influence."

The Serbian coaches are expected to attract more young soccer enthusiasts in the city. More than 300 will receive professional training.