After the Jin Yuan era, the Chinese Super League may be ushering in a new "Korean Wave". According to South Korea's authoritative sports media "Seoul Sports", a number of Chinese Super League teams are actively contacting and recruiting South Korean coaches who have proven their strength in the K-League. Among them, the performance of the three towns of Wuhan is particularly active. They have already met directly with former Jeju United coach Nam Ki-il and have shown a strong willingness to recruit. At the same time, Kim Sang-sik, who has led Jeonbuk Hyundai to great results, and former Lion City Mariners head coach Kim Do-hoon are also on the team's shortlist. This shows that Wuhan Three Towns has a high degree of recognition and expectation for the coaching ability of Korean coaches.
On the other hand, the Henan team is also looking for their Korean coach. According to reports, they are approaching Choi Yong-so, who has coached Jiangsu Suning and achieved good results. The 50-year-old South Korean coach stepped down as head coach of Gangwon FC this summer, but his experience and talent have not been forgotten. If the negotiations go well, we can expect to see Choi Yong-so again in the new season of the Chinese Super League.
In addition, Chinese Super League champion Shanghai Port has not stopped pursuing South Korean coaches. They not only approached Pohang Steelers coach Kim Ki-dong, but even threw an olive branch to Ulsan Hyundai coach Hong Myung-bo. Although these contacts have yet to translate into substantial signings, they undoubtedly show the keen interest of the Chinese Super League teams in the South Korean coach. It is important to note that this interest is not a source of water. Last season, Shandong Taishan's Choi Kang-hee and Chengdu Rongcheng's Xu Zhengyuan led their respective teams to second and fourth place in the league respectively, fully proving the competitiveness of Korean coaches in the Chinese Super League.
If it does so, the new season of the Chinese Super League could see four South Korean coaches competing together. In addition to Choi Kang-hee and Xu Zhengyuan, who are already coaching in Shandong Taishan and Chengdu Rongcheng, the new head coaches of Wuhan Three Towns and Henan are also likely to be from South Korea. In this case, Choi Yong-so's return will add more highlights and suspense to this "Korean Wave".
Overall, it is no accident that Chinese Super League teams are courting South Korean coaches. In the case of the high cost of European and American coaches and the fact that the results are not necessarily ideal, the relatively cheap and excellent South Korean coaches have naturally become the ideal choice for many Chinese teams. However, this trend also reminds us that no matter what coach is chosen, teams need to take a thorough and in-depth look at their background, philosophy and adaptability to ensure they can perform at their best in their new environment. Only in this way can the Chinese Super League find the most suitable development path for itself in the diversified coaching lineup and inject continuous impetus into the progress of Chinese football. (Lao Qiu Super League Ball Review)