Chinese Football Association (CFA) will be breaking away from the country's official sports body as part of reforms to allow it to manage its own affairs, authorities said Monday.

Plans for the CFA's reforms were discussed at a meeting on Monday, with authorities saying the CFA will no longer serve as the Chinese Football Management Center (CFMC) of the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC).

The reforms are a response to the dismal performance of China's national soccer team, as the association needs more freedom, like setting up overseas soccer organizations, to improve, according to experts.

Previously, the CFA operated under the GASC's administration, with many officials appointed directly by the sports governing body.

The CFA will enjoy independence in its organizational structure, finances, personnel and international communications, as the exclusive representative of the Chinese soccer governing body in international soccer organizations.

Wang Dazhao, a member of CFA executive committee, told the Global Times that the association would enjoy more public participation in its operations, including the hiring of more legal and financial experts.

The development of soccer in China still has a long way to go, but the reforms could help the CFA fulfill its obligations, while other factors, including social and financial support and the recognition of soccer as a positive and healthy sport among children and parents, need further efforts, added Wang.

Chinese soccer has been plagued by the lackluster performance of the national teams. The men's team, now ranked 79th worldwide, qualified for one World Cup final in 2002, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Since 2009, Chinese soccer has been clawing its way back with the crackdown on corruption and match-fixing. China's central reform group headed by President Xi Jinping launched a plan to revive soccer in March. It involves almost every aspect of the sport, including professional clubs, professional leagues, national teams and grassroots soccer.

The nation has also kicked off a campaign to ensure that soccer thrives in schools across the country, including the creation of 50,000 soccer schools by 2025, according to a Ministry of Education circular released in January 2015.

Sun Wen, former captain of the Chinese women's national soccer team, told the Global Times on Monday that patience is needed and a conference certainly would not solve everything, though the CFA's independence will boost the development of soccer in China.