FIFA president Joseph Sepp Blatter has criticized China's lack of youth development plan, which led to the nation's shabby situation of the sport.

The Chinese national soccer team suffered early exit at the 2010 World Cup Asian qualifiers this June, before being humiliated in the Olympic men's tournament with two comprehensive defeats by Belgium and Brazil.

During the Olympic tournament, China merely managed a draw with New Zealand and scored a hard-fought goal by Dong Dangzhuo, their first goal at major international tournaments.

"There are no miracles in football. You have to start to organise youth competitions before you can succeed at a higher level," Blatter told a press conference here on Thursday.

"There is hard work to be done," added Blatter, who then read some of the teams which did well in the FIFA world youth championships.

"When football is developed at youth level, you have a good national team."

The Chinese women's national team also slipped sharply in recent years, they were shut out 2-0 at the Olympic quarter-finals by Japan. The awkward results and the low performance has resulted in heavy criticism from the Chinese media and fans.

In several Olympic matches, the Chinese fans kept chanting to request for the resignation of Xie Yalong, vice president of the Chinese Football Association.

Blatter also blamed the Olympic hosts were not patient with those foreign coaches.

"They should start again with the young players and not artificially try to bring in the best from somewhere for the national team and to change them every year," said Blatter.

"There must be some continuity, there must be a plan. Of course, the people will not be happy when they see the men's team go out in the first round."

China made their debutant, and also the last tour so far to the World Cup in 2002, in which they were eliminated after three straight defeats and without a single goal.

Source: Xinhua