The Chinese national football team has once again been caught in a fierce whirlwind of coaching changes. Following the dismissal of Coach Ivanković, former Indonesia national team coach Shin Tae-yong is being mentioned as a candidate for the next head coach, causing a stir in the local football scene.

Sohu.com reported on the 14th (Korea time) that "Coach Ivanković left China immediately after negotiating the terms of his contract termination with the Chinese Football Association." Since taking charge in February 2023, Ivanković has recorded disappointing results with 4 wins, 2 draws, and 8 losses (a win rate of 28.57%) over 14 matches, leading to his departure.

In particular, the team confirmed its effective elimination after suffering a heavy 0-7 defeat to Japan in the third round of World Cup Asian qualifiers and a 0-1 loss to Indonesia. The final standings were 5th in the group, marking the sixth consecutive failure for China to qualify for the finals since the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Amid these circumstances, the name Shin Tae-yong has emerged as a candidate for the next head coach of China's national team, spreading the ripple effect. Interestingly, it was only less than a year ago that Shin criticized Chinese football as "garbage football."

Shin Tae-yong, who led the Indonesia national team, bluntly criticized the style of Chinese football in a press conference after a match against China in October last year, stating, "I didn't know China played such garbage football." At that time, this comment was a response to a question from the Chinese media that seemed to undermine Indonesia's performance.

Although this remark sparked significant controversy among local fans and media, the Chinese Football Association opted for pragmatism by including Shin in the list of candidates. The source of this report is local media from Indonesia.

CNN Indonesia reported on the 15th that "the Chinese Football Association is considering Shin Tae-yong as a candidate for the next head coach following the dismissal of Coach Ivanković."

According to the report, Shin had also garnered interest from China in 2019 but chose to take up the position of Indonesia national team head coach at that time. Since then, he has successfully led a generational shift in the Indonesia national team and achieved remarkable results in various international tournaments, gaining recognition for his leadership. Locally, he is viewed as "the right person to rebuild Chinese football."

However, besides Shin, Zheng Zhi, a prominent figure within Chinese football, is also being considered as a strong candidate. A legendary figure from the national team, Zheng currently leads the U-21 national team and previously served as the head coach under Ivanković. Internal discussions are reportedly intense regarding whether to continue hiring foreign coaches or to switch to a domestic one.

The East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship in 2025 is also likely to be a testing ground to gauge the new system of Chinese football. The tournament will be held from July 7 to 16 in Yongin, South Korea, and due to the repercussions of failing to qualify for the finals, it is expected that a team centered around younger players will be formed. However, given the tight timeline, there is a possibility that a formal coach may not be appointed before the tournament, and it might be conducted under a temporary system.

Shin Tae-yong's own intentions are also a variable. He is currently unemployed after being unilaterally dismissed by the Indonesian Football Association in January. He left the national team following conflicts concerning the use of naturalized players, resulting in divided public opinion within Indonesia. Recently, he has been gaining administrative experience as the Vice President of the Korea Football Association and as the Director General of Seongnam FC.

Some are wary that Shin could become another victim in the complex football environment of China. This is due to the structural problems in Chinese football, which repeatedly replaces coaches without reforming the system.

NetEase conveyed the opinions of fans, stating, "The problem is always the system. Changing just the leaders doesn't bring about change." In fact, despite having the world's largest population and immense capital, China has not reached the World Cup finals for over 20 years, perpetuating a vicious cycle.

Attention is focused on whether the Chinese Football Association's choice to mitigate the crisis solely by replacing foreign coaches will once again serve as a solution.

[OSEN]