WEIFANG, China, July 29 -- The success of football lies in the development of young players at the base level and getting them fully prepared for a professional career, a retired Belgian footballer and coach told Xinhua here on Saturday.

"What's important is that you start at the base. The base is the development of the young players, because if you want better players in your first team, you have to start when they are younger," said Sven Vermant, who currently coaches Team B of Club Brugge, one of the top ranking clubs in Belgium.

Vermant gave the remarks in an interview with Xinhua during the 11th Weifang Cup International Youth Football Tournament held in Weifang City in China's eastern Shandong Province.

Vermant led Team B of Club Brugge to the fourth place in their debut in this year's Weifang Cup, losing 1-0 to 10-man Club Deportivo Guadalajara of Mexico in the bronze medal match on Saturday.

During his professional career, which spanned about 20 years, Vermant, 44, spent most of the time playing for Club Brugge. One of the most celebrated teams in Belgian football, it has won 14 domestic league titles -- second only to arch rival R.S.C. Anderlecht.

Vermant started his coaching career immediately after retirement in 2009 and has stayed in the youth camp of Club Brugge ever since.

"I don't say to get them (the young players) to live in a more professional way because I don't know China that well, but if you want to be successful, for any country, it starts with the development of the players, get them maximum developed technically, tactically, mentally, physically," he said, adding that if a team can do better at the base, it can get better players on the top as well.

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