JINAN, May 26 (Xinhua) -- At the football pitch of Jinan Foreign Language School in east China's Shandong Province, 38-year-old Serbian coach Marko Milovanovic stands with a whistle between his lips, leading a group of students through shuttle-run drills during a routine training session.
He often tells them that if someone truly loves football, there will always be a stage waiting for them. It is the same belief that brought him halfway across the world to China.
Milovanovic's own football dream began at the age of eight, when he and his friends spent entire days playing in the streets.
"We would play football all day in the street," he recalled. "That's the best place."
At the age of nine, he joined a local club and later played in Serbia's third-tier league. Although his playing career did not bring major honors, he never viewed that as a failure. For him, football has always been about "passion."
Driven by that conviction, Milovanovic moved into coaching after retiring as a player, earning a UEFA B coaching license in 2013.
In 2024, the same year he obtained the top-level UEFA A license, China continued pushing reforms in youth campus football and talent development across selected pilot cities, including Jinan.
Since Milovanovic arrived at Jinan Foreign Language School, a campus known for its youth football program, the school's football culture has gained fresh momentum.
Despite his limited Chinese, Milovanovic conducts training sessions and matches in English. His players, he said, can "understand my instructions," while some also help translate for teammates.
Yet when speaking to his players, Milovanovic avoids using English names. Instead, he has made a point of learning how to pronounce nearly every player's Chinese name.
"To call them by their Chinese names is an important point to solidarity of the team," he said.
Milovanovic encouraged his players to think independently, take greater responsibility and become more creative on the pitch, rather than waiting for constant direction.
Believing confidence can only be built through genuine competition, Milovanovic has pushed his team to participate in a variety of matches. Through pre-match preparation, in-game guidance and post-match reviews, his players have gradually developed stronger decision-making abilities and learned to adapt to changing situations during games.
"I am really satisfied," said Milovanovic, who has watched his players break old habits and begin to perform "like a real football team."
Yang Siyuan, a Grade 11 student, still remembers what the coach told the team after one defeat.
"We had learned at least one thing from the failure: when it is time to step forward, no one is allowed to step back."
"His words inspire our confidence and give us even more passion for football," Yang said.
"One thing is for sure: they all love football," Milovanovic said. "It's my job to help them feel what real football is."
His influence has also helped cultivate a broader football culture across the campus.
"More teachers and students have come to realize that football is not only about winning or losing, but also about growth and passion," said Wang Peng, vice principal of the school. Enditem
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