Chinese media commented on the blame placed on Branko Ivankovic, the former coach of the Chinese national football team, who was dismissed while also pointing out to the players that they need to "develop their fundamentals."

Sohoo.com claimed on the 21st (Korea time) that "the failure of Chinese football was not due to a lack of skill, but rather because of Coach Ivankovic and his player selection strategy."

After parting ways with Coach Aleksandar Jankovic in February last year, the Chinese Football Association appointed Ivankovic as head coach. However, after failing to qualify for the North and Central America World Cup, Ivankovic was abruptly dismissed on the 13th.

The current World Cup has been restructured to include 48 countries, raising expectations for qualification within China. However, it failed. Under Coach Ivankovic, China finished the third round of qualifiers with 3 wins and 7 losses, ranking 5th in Group C. This marks a failure to qualify for the finals for the 6th consecutive time since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup.

The Chinese Football Association terminated Ivankovic's contract due to poor performance, and it is reported that their agreement included a clause allowing for contract termination without penalty if World Cup qualification failed.

Sohoo.com stated, "Coach Ivankovic heavily relied on players like Wang Dalei, Yang Zhiqiang, Xu Haoyang, and Wang Zhengyuan, while disregarding Wei Shao, the only player with international-level skills, or even failing to play him. Even more inexplicable is the fact that Wei Shao, originally a winger, was played as an attacking midfielder, completely undermining his strengths. Coach Ivankovic stubbornly stuck to formations that the opponent had completely figured out, saying, ‘Is there another coach in the world who would insist despite a tactical failure? During the match, under Ivankovic's chaotic player placements, the players played awkwardly and inefficiently.'

It further lamented, "Everything is the coach's responsibility. A more doubtful point is that the domestic coaching staff ignored this fact. They had no sense of responsibility towards Chinese football. The failure to qualify for the World Cup is directly related to those who have turned a blind eye to the problems and evaded responsibility. Even if direct qualification is difficult, there should have been efforts to at least secure a playoff spot. Eliminating without achieving anything is irresponsible."

Additionally, it noted, "The heading and wing crosses that Chinese football once prided itself on have now become stories of the past. In contrast, Japan has seriously accepted its failures in the World Cup and effectively passed on that experience. However, Chinese football continues to repeat past mistakes and has not only failed to leverage former strengths but has also precisely inherited the failures. This is indeed a sad matter."

It also demanded an awakening from the players. Sohoo.com questioned, "The fundamentals of the Chinese national team players are at a serious level. How many players can properly execute accurate shots, one-on-one passes, Marseille turns, and knuckleball kicks?" Afterward, it stated, "In crucial moments, they fumble and repeatedly squander chances. The lack of fundamentals is indeed the biggest obstacle to the development of the national team. We need to focus more on fundamental training than on immediate results."

Finally, Sohoo.com conveyed, "In the Asian World Cup qualifiers, 8.5 spots are allocated for direct entry to the finals. According to the fundamental principles of football, if played properly, China's qualification for the World Cup is not impossible. If the current situation does not change, the likelihood of failing to qualify for the next World Cup is high. If countries like Thailand in Southeast Asia rapidly advance in a few years, the international competitiveness of Chinese football will further decline," urging for a reality check and hoping for change in Chinese football.

Meanwhile, following the dismissal of Coach Ivankovic, the Chinese Football Association reportedly considered a South Korean coach and existing coaches from China as candidates. The selected individual is said to be Dejan Jurjevic who led the Chinese U-20 national team earlier this February and participated in the 2025 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup (eliminated in the quarterfinals). At that time, China, which lost to Saudi Arabia, failed to secure a spot for the U-20 World Cup that was at stake.

Sohoo.com reported on the 17th, quoting 'Jibo 8,' that "Jurjevic will temporarily take the helm of the Chinese senior national team and compete in the East Asian Cup in July."

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 successively take on Japan and Hong Kong.

Additionally, Sohoo.com reported that "Former national team coach Gao Hongbo is expected to join the coaching staff as the head coach."

Gao Hongbo is the figure who brought China to the top during the 2010 East Asian Cup, defeating Korea 3-0 for the title. He is known as the coach who ended China's winless streak against Korea.

During his tenure, China also produced a notable upset by defeating France 1-0 in May 2010.

There has yet to be an official announcement from the Chinese Football Association regarding the appointment of the new coach and staff.

[OSEN]