It will still take a million years for Chinese football to get its act together.

The Chinese Football Association dismissed head coach Branco Ivanković on the 14th after the Chinese national team failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup.

Korean coaches such as Shin Tae-yong and Seo Jung-won were considered for the coaching position. However, Chinese media reported, "Korean people are not acceptable," triggering a response.

Ultimately, China's choice was another European. China announced that it would promote Dejan Jurić, who was in charge of the U20 Chinese national team, to head coach of the senior national team. Jurić's debut stage is expected to coincidentally be the 2025 EAFF E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) in Yongin, Korea, which will be held in July.

The match against Korea, set to take place on July 7 at Yongin Mir Stadium, has been confirmed as Jurić's debut. His fate now hinges on Korea. Chinese media is confident that the Chinese national team will succeed in improving its performance in just two weeks and defeating Korea.

Sohu.com noted, "Jurić has excellent ideas as a foreign coach. We expect him to lead China to good results in the East Asian Cup. The East Asian Cup is the starting point of a renaissance for Chinese football. Everyone will witness the new changes," expressing hope.

In the East Asian Cup to be held in July, Korea is expected to field a team centered around domestic K League players. Key overseas players such as Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, and Lee Kang-in will be largely absent. Still, the idea of China defeating the Korean national team in its home territory is refreshing.

Moreover, there is not enough time for Jurić to change the Chinese senior national team in just two weeks. The hopes of Chinese media are likely to remain in the realm of fantasy.

Sohu.com stated, "Coach Jurić showed outstanding performance with the U19 national team. If he leads the senior team with the same style as he did with the youth team, it’s highly possible that they will perform well in the East Asian Cup. His tactical style is pragmatic. It’s a tournament where he can challenge Korea and Japan," offering support to the new coach.

[OSEN]