So far, it is merely a baseless rumor.
Sohu.com reported on the 14th (hereafter Korea time) that "Coach Ivan Kovic negotiated the conditions for terminating his contract with the Chinese Football Association and immediately left China." Since taking the helm in February 2023, Ivan Kovic resigned after a disappointing record of 4 wins, 2 draws, and 8 losses (28.57% win rate) in 14 matches.
In particular, he confirmed his team's elimination by suffering heavy defeats of 0-7 against Japan in the third round of the World Cup Asian qualifiers and 0-1 against Indonesia.
In this situation, the name of coach Shin Tae-yong has emerged as a candidate for the next coach of China, and the ripple effects are expanding. Notably, he is the same individual who criticized Chinese football as "shitty football" less than a year ago.
Coach Shin Tae-yong made this comment during a press conference after leading the Indonesian national team against China last October, saying, "I didn't know Chinese football could be this much of a shitty football." This was in response to a question from the Chinese media that seemed to belittle Indonesia's performance.
Reports have surfaced that Coach Shin Tae-yong has been named as a candidate for the head coach of China. The source is the Indonesian media. CNN Indonesia reported on the 15th that "the Chinese Football Association is considering Coach Shin Tae-yong as the next coaching candidate following the dismissal of Coach Ivan Kovic," adding that "Coach Shin had already attracted interest from China in 2019 but chose to remain as the head coach of the Indonesian national team at that time."
In fact, Coach Shin Tae-yong has successfully led a generational change in the Indonesian national team, achieving remarkable success in various international tournaments, earning recognition for his leadership. However, the Indonesian Football Association abruptly dismissed Coach Shin Tae-yong last January and appointed Coach Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.
At that time, the Indonesian Football Association stated that "Coach Shin Tae-yong had issues with leadership and tactics," providing vague reasons. According to Indonesian media, it is reported that the cause of his dismissal was a conflict with naturalized players from the Netherlands.
'The Jakarta Post' revealed on the 11th that "discontent between players and Coach Shin Tae-yong began before the match in which Indonesia lost 1-2 to China last October. One of the naturalized players openly expressed dissatisfaction with Coach Shin's tactics and team management."
Ultimately, the Indonesian Football Association, which has roots in the former Dutch colony, appointed Dutch legend Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, leading to their advancement to the World Cup playoffs, yet claims have surfaced that these achievements were essentially made by Coach Shin Tae-yong.
Due to these achievements, some are assessing Coach Shin Tae-yong as the 'right person to rebuild Chinese football.' However, Coach Shin has not received a clear offer from the Chinese Football Association.
A representative of Coach Shin Tae-yong denied the reports by Indonesian media in a phone conversation with OSEN, stating, "Coach Shin has not received any offers or contact from the Chinese Football Association," and emphasized that "he is currently serving as the vice president of the Korea Football Association and the Director General of Seongnam FC on a part-time basis. Therefore, he is currently engaged in various activities. It is a baseless rumor."
Sources within Chinese football stated, "There is no doubt about Coach Shin Tae-yong's abilities. However, the Chinese Football Association is also considering various factors. Since Coach Ivan Kovic has left China, they are in the early stages of contemplating their next steps regarding his position."
While leading the Indonesian national team, Coach Shin Tae-yong successfully implemented generational changes and naturalization strategies, proving competitiveness in the Asian Cup and World Cup qualifiers. Therefore, his leadership is highly regarded. There are no doubts about Coach Shin's leadership not only in domestic football but across Asia. However, the mere existence of rumors without any proposals is a meaningless situation. It is precisely a baseless rumor.
[OSEN]