Recently, local Chinese media have mentioned Shin Tae-yong (56) as a candidate for the new head coach of the China national football team. However, he himself dismissed this, saying, "There has been no contact or offer whatsoever."

In a phone call with OSEN on the 16th, Coach Shin stated, "I have not received any offers from the Chinese Football Association, whether official or unofficial," adding, "The position of head coach is always open, but I think there is no need to create unnecessary turmoil right now."

China confirmed its elimination from the finals regardless of the remaining match after losing 0-1 against Indonesia in the 9th match of Group C in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North and Central American World Cup held on the 5th. Chinese football, which has not had a relationship with the World Cup finals for over 20 years, repeated the humiliation of early elimination again this time. Although it achieved a 1-0 victory against Bahrain on the 10th, it was merely a meaningless win.

In particular, the loss to Indonesia dramatically showcased the helplessness under Coach Ivan Kovic. After the worst-case elimination was confirmed, Ivan Kovic immediately left China, and local fans and commentators expressed intense anger. Chinese football experts pointed out tactical incompetence, saying, "Even the arrangement of the four-back was confusing," and urged, "Let's stop making excuses about the weather and naturalized players."

In this situation, the person mentioned as the next coach of the China national team is none other than former Indonesia national team coach Shin Tae-yong. 'CNN Indonesia' reported on the 15th that "the Chinese Football Association has included Coach Shin Tae-yong in its candidate pool for the next national team coach."

It is not the first time Coach Shin Tae-yong has attracted attention in Chinese football. In 2019, there was interest from the Chinese side, but he chose the Indonesia national team. Since then, he has successfully improved Indonesia's system, actively utilized naturalized players, and achieved certain results on the international stage, elevating the assessment of leadership in Asia.

On the 16th, Coach Shin stated, "There have been no offers, whether official or unofficial. I think there is no need to create unnecessary turmoil since there were no offers in the first place."

Regarding critical views from some football experts in China who said, "A Korean coach should not be entrusted with the national team," he avoided direct responses. He noted, "Since there were no offers, there is no need for much discussion on that issue."

In that currency, Coach Shin also shared his thoughts on the state of Asian football. He analyzed, "The Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia, seems stronger as it brings in a large number of European players, but in fact, the playing time for their domestic players has decreased within their teams, so I believe the strength of the national team is not as good as before. On the contrary, Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia are actually becoming stronger."

[OSEN]