'World Cup qualification failure' Chinese national football team is expected to establish an interim coaching system.
Chinese media outlet Sohu.com reported, citing Zibo 8, that “Dejan Jurjević, coach of the under-20 (U-20) Chinese national football team, will take charge of the Chinese senior national team for the East Asian Cup in July.”
On the 14th, the Chinese Football Association dismissed coach Branko Ivanković after China failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup.
Subsequently, the association immediately began the search for a successor, reportedly considering a Korean coach and existing coaching staff of Chinese origin. The selected figure is Jurjević, who led the Chinese U-20 team in February this year to the 2025 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, where they were eliminated in the quarterfinals. At that time, China lost to Saudi Arabia and failed to secure a berth in the U-20 World Cup.
The 2025 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) will be held in Korea from July 7 to 16.
China will play its first match against Korea on July 7, and then face Japan and Hong Kong in succession.
Korean leaders, familiar with the Asian stage, were also mentioned as candidates for the next head coach of the Chinese national team, but there was no progress.
There were dissenting voices within China. Chinese football journalist Song Qingliang noted on social media, "A Korean coach should never be appointed as the head coach of the Chinese national team. They have a strong tendency toward collectivistic egoism and overly value personal interests. Most importantly, their leadership is not that impressive.”
Shin Tae-yong, vice president of the Korea Football Association, who had gained prominence in Indonesia, and Seo Jung-won, coach of Chengdu Rongcheng in the Chinese Super League, were mentioned as potential candidates but were not reportedly offered official proposals.
The Chinese Football Association appears to have also included Chinese candidates from the existing coaching staff as potential options.
Sohu.com also claimed earlier that “Zheng Zhi and Chen Tao, members of the existing coaching staff, are strong candidates for the interim coach.”
It further explained the two candidates. The media stated, “Zheng Zhi is a legend of the Chinese national team, having achieved exceptional success during his playing career. After transitioning to coaching, he gained abundant experience. He can ensure the continuity of team tactics as he thoroughly understands the tactical system and players' characteristics. Chen Tao excels in tactical innovation and discovering young players. He could inject new vitality into the national team and resolve internal communication issues.”
However, a few hours later, Sohu.com reported that Jurjević would assume the role of interim coach for the Chinese national football team.
[Photo] Coach Dejan Jurjević ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)
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