Former China men's national team coach Klaus Schlappner emphasized the values of teamwork and self-improvement at the closing ceremony of a youth football tournament in Germany, underscoring his long-standing commitment to fostering sports exchanges between the two countries.

Klaus Schlappner told young Chinese footballers he hopes they "can bring home the memories of teamwork attitude, fighting spirit and self-improvement," from their experience at the 8th German-Chinese U16 Football Tournament. The award ceremony was held Sunday at the Seppl-Herberger Stadium in the German city of Mannheim.

Schlappner's words were more than a cliche. As the former coach of the China men's national team, his dedication to promoting football exchanges between Germany and China dates back to the 1990s.

In 2012, Schlappner; Felix Kurz, chairman of the non-profit Society for German-Chinese Friendship in the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region (GDCF MRN) e.V.; and former First Mayor of Mannheim Norbert Egger jointly initiated the tournament to bring young players from both countries together.

This year, two Chinese teams from Haikou and Hangzhou competed with six German teams on Saturday and Sunday as part of a series of activities from Aug 19 to 26.

After eight matches, Hangzhou Caihe Middle School finished fifth and the Haikou City Selection Team finished seventh. Hangzhou's Zhang Zeheng was the tournament's top scorer.

Wu Wei, coach of the Hangzhou Caihe Middle School team, told Xinhua the football environment was so infectious that his players were eager to get to the pitch and enjoy themselves during training sessions in Germany.

Wu said the weeklong visit to Germany was transformative for the young players, who were initially shy but gradually opened up and started conversations with the German players.

For the Chinese teachers, Germany's football training system and successful club development model were the biggest takeaways.

German clubs emphasize systematic training and combine education with personal growth, said Ou Changxu, chairman of Shangao Education Group. He added that his visit to German sports clubs offered valuable inspiration for developing his own football programs.

"I very much look forward to the continued development of China's youth football training system, and I hope to see more and more Chinese players taking to the pitches in Germany," Schlappner said.