The China Football Association is moving busily. It is deeply involved in the selection of a caretaker coach and the formation of the coaching staff.
On the 21st, the Chinese media outlet Sohu.com reported that "recently, the new coach of the Chinese men's national football team, Dejan Jurić, has finalized a preliminary list of 50 players in preparation for the East Asian Cup. Former national team coach Gao Hongbo is expected to join as the head of the Chinese coaching staff supporting Jurić."
The 2025 East Asian Football Confederation (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, followed by matches against Japan and Hong Kong.
Gao Hongbo, who is known to join the new system as a coach, has the experience of leading China to victory in the 2010 East Asian Cup. At that time, they defeated Korea 3-0. Sohu.com praised him, saying, "Gao Hongbo is the figure who broke the long-standing chain of 'winless against Korea' by defeating Korea."
As the media mentioned, Gao Hongbo is regarded as a legendary figure in Chinese football history.
He led the Chinese men's national football team twice, from May 2009 to August 2011 and from February 2016 to October 2016.
The first term ended due to the group stage elimination in the Asian Cup and the influence of a sponsorship contract that specified the use of a foreign coach, while the second term was concluded due to poor performance in the World Cup qualifiers.
Under his leadership, China shocked the world football scene by winning 1-0 in a friendly match against France in May 2010. During the same period, Korean football also lost to Gao Hongbo's China. In the East Asian Cup held in February 2010, they defeated Korea, led by coach Huh Jung-moo, 3-0. In this competition, China recorded 2 wins, 1 draw, and 7 points, surpassing Korea, which had 2 wins and 1 loss, to lift the championship trophy.
China seems to be pulling out all the stops to relive past glories in this East Asian Cup.
On the 14th, the China Football Association dismissed coach Branko Ivanković after China failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup.
Shortly after, the association began seeking a successor and reportedly considered a Korean coach and existing coaching staff from China as candidates. The selected figure is said to be coach Jurić, who led the China U-20 national team in February this year to the 2025 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup (where they were eliminated in the quarterfinals), as reported by Sohu.com. In that tournament, China lost to Saudi Arabia and did not secure a spot in the U-20 World Cup.
Korean leaders familiar with the Asian stage have also been mentioned as potential candidates for the next coach of the China national team, but there has been no progress.
There was dissent within China. Song Qingliang, a football journalist in China, argued on social media, "Absolutely do not appoint a Korean coach as the coach of the national team. They have a strong tendency towards collective egoism and prioritize personal interests too much. Above all, their leadership skills are not that outstanding."
Shin Tae-yong, the vice president of the Korea Football Association, who had stood out in Indonesia, and coach Seo Jung-won of Chengdu Rongcheng, who is active in the Chinese Super League, were among those rumored but have reportedly not received official offers.
It appears that the China Football Association has also included Chinese candidates from the existing coaching staff.
Sohu.com previously reported on the 18th, "The existing coaching staff members Zheng Zhi and Chen Tao are strong candidates for the caretaker coach position."
The media also elaborated on the two candidates. It stated, "Zheng Zhi is a legend of the Chinese national team, having achieved outstanding results during his playing career. Even after transitioning to coaching, he has accumulated rich experience. He understands tactical systems and the characteristics of players well, ensuring maximum continuity in team tactics. Chen Tao is strong in tactical innovation and discovering young players. He can bring new vitality to the national team and solve internal communication issues."
However, a few hours later on the same day, Sohu.com reported that Coach Jurić will become the caretaker coach of the Chinese national football team.
The China Football Association is said to have settled on a caretaker coach system for the East Asian Cup, but the official announcement regarding Coach Jurić and the coaching staff composition is still pending.
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