A Chinese media outlet claimed that sympathy for former national soccer team coach Branco Ivanković, who was dismissed, is a luxury.

On the 21st (Korea time), Sohu.com stated, "The Chinese men's soccer team failed to qualify for the 2026 North American World Cup. Therefore, the dismissed coach Branco Ivanković does not deserve sympathy."

The Chinese Football Association appointed Ivanković after parting ways with coach Aleksandar Janković in February last year. However, after failing to qualify for the North American World Cup, he was abruptly dismissed on the 13th.

This World Cup saw the format expanded to 48 teams, leading to a surge of expectations for qualification within China. However, they failed. Under Ivanković's leadership, China finished the third round of qualifiers with three wins and seven losses, placing fifth in Group C. This marked a sixth consecutive failure to qualify since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup.

In response, the Chinese Football Association terminated Ivanković's contract due to poor performance. It is reported that the contract included a clause allowing termination without penalty if qualification for the World Cup was unsuccessful.

Sohu.com pointed out, "Ivanković could not escape responsibility for the failure to qualify for the World Cup. He left on a 1 a.m. flight without saying goodbye to the players right after his dismissal. He had signed a contract with the goal of qualifying for the World Cup, so it is not surprising that he was dismissed for failing to achieve that. The team's performance under his leadership was devastating. The results were unacceptable."

Furthermore, Sohu.com added, "The Chinese national team players were certainly not lacking in skills. Wu Lei, Zhang Guangtai, Zhang Yuning, and Wang Dalei were outstanding players in the league. However, Coach Ivanković failed to utilize these excellent players effectively. His tactics were outdated and boring, and his ability to direct the game was poor."

Moreover, Sohu.com lamented, "Ivanković should have already been replaced around halfway through the third round of qualifiers. If there had been changes then, Chinese soccer might not have reached such a disastrous situation now."

Meanwhile, the media reported on the 17th, citing 'Jibo8', that Dejan Jurović, coach of the under-20 (U-20) Chinese national soccer team, will take interim charge of the senior national team for the East Asian Cup in July.

After the dismissal of Coach Ivanković, the Chinese Football Association began searching for his successor, reportedly considering a Korean coach or coaches from China among the existing staff. The selected individual is said to be Jurović, who led the U-20 national 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 failed to secure a spot in the U-20 World Cup after losing to Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals.

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 the 7th, followed by matches against Japan and Hong Kong in succession.

[OSEN]