Recently, rumors about the change of coach of Shanghai Shenhua Football Club have caused waves in the sports world. According to Russian media, former CSKA Moscow and Russian national team coach Slutsky has reached an agreement with Shenhua to replace the current coach Wu Jingui. The 52-year-old Slutsky is one of the outstanding representatives of Russian football in the 21st century. Since taking over from Spanish coach Juan de Ramos in 2009, he has led the team to a stellar record in seven years.
During this time, CSKA won the Russian Premier League three times (2012/13, 2013/14, 2015/16), the Russian Cup twice (2010/11, 2012/13) and two Russian Super Cups (2013, 2014). In addition, after taking over the Russian national team in 2015, he equalled the best start of the Russian managerial debut held by Sadrin with a record of five consecutive wins, and successfully led the team to Euro 2016 qualifying.
However, the newspaper "Football" revealed a piece of news that attracted attention. It is reported that after Riyadh Victory announced that it would play a commercial match with Shenhua, the current Shenhua coach Wu Jingui said in an interview that being able to play against a world-class star like Ronaldo will be an extremely valuable experience and opportunity for the whole Shenhua team. The commercial match is scheduled to be held at the Shenzhen Universiade Center on January 24 next year, and Wu Jingui clearly expects to still lead the team as Shenhua coach by then. At present, Shenhua Club has not made any official response to the rumors of a change of manager.
If Shenhua suddenly decides to change the coach, it will undoubtedly bring a lot of impact to Wu Jingui. The homegrown coach may not only be surprised by his future, but also lose the chance to lead the team to challenge Cristiano Ronaldo. This situation has triggered questions and discussions about Shenhua's decision-making level.
In the current context, Shenhua's decision to change the coach is particularly crucial. On the one hand, Slutsky's rich experience and excellent record undoubtedly add weight to his takeover of Shenhua, and on the other hand, Wu Jingui's familiarity with the team and confidence in the future also make people look forward to him. Regardless of the final outcome, Shenhua will need to think carefully to ensure that this major decision will propel the team towards higher goals. In this uncertain moment, fans can only wait and see, hoping that Shenhua can show stronger strength and better form in the next games. (Lao Qiu Super League Ball Review)