"No one should come!"
SoHu.com reported, citing 'Zibo 8,' that Dejan Jurjevic, the coach of the U-20 China national football team, will take charge of the senior national team to compete in the East Asian Cup in July.
On the 14th, the Chinese Football Association dismissed coach Branko Ivankovic after China failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Following this, the association immediately began searching for a successor, reportedly considering a Korean coach and those from the existing coaching staff with Chinese backgrounds, with the chosen individual being Jurjevic, who led the U-20 team in February and participated in the 2025 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup (eliminated in the quarter-finals). At that time, China, which lost to Saudi Arabia, failed to secure a berth in the U-20 World Cup that was at stake.
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 face Korea in their first match on the 7th and will subsequently compete against Japan and Hong Kong.
Korean leaders familiar with the Asian stage were also mentioned as candidates for the next head coach of the Chinese national team, but no progress was made.
There has been dissent within China. Song Chengliang, a sports journalist, claimed via social media, "We must never appoint a Korean coach for the Chinese national team. They have a strong tendency toward collective egoism and prioritize personal interests too much. Above all, their leadership is not that great."
Shin Tae-yong, vice president of the Korea Football Association, who gained prominence in Indonesia, and Se Jeong-won, the Chengdu Rongcheng coach active in the Chinese Super League, were rumored to be in contention but have not received official offers.
The Chinese Football Association appears to have also included Chinese leaders from the existing coaching staff as candidates.
SoHu.com claimed earlier that "existing coaching staff members Zheng Zhi and Chen Tao are strong candidates for interim head coach."
It added further explanations about the two candidates. SoHu.com explained, "Zheng Zhi is a legend of the Chinese national team and achieved outstanding results during his playing career. He has accumulated extensive experience since transitioning to coaching. He can maximize the continuity of team tactics as he understands the tactical system and player characteristics well. Chen Tao has strengths in tactical innovation and uncovering young players. He could infuse new vitality into the national team and also resolve internal communication issues."
However, hours later, SoHu.com reported that Jurjevic would be appointed as the interim coach of the Chinese national football team.
Regarding the possibility of an interim coach's appointment, Chinese internet users expressed strong dissatisfaction, saying, "No one should come!" It reflected the sense of futility felt by Chinese fans who are in a position to prepare most quickly for the 2030 World Cup.
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