For the first time in the history of Chinese football, it suffered an early exit from the group stage of the Asian Cup! This news is like a bombshell, which has caused huge waves in the domestic football circle. In the case of the national football team failing to advance with its outstanding performance, the resignation of club head coach Jankovic is a foregone conclusion. The hearts of the fans were like knives, and the disappointment lingered. The gap between Asian powerhouses and Chinese football seems to have become insurmountable, and the problems faced by Chinese football have reached the point where they must see the light of day?
This "black day" in the history of Chinese football took place in the group stage of the Asian Cup, and even more, it was the first time. In the group stage, there was 1 draw and 2 losses, and the national football team was eliminated early, which made the fans feel like knives. Fans were expecting the national football team to perform as well as before, but the result was a big disappointment for everyone. This trip to the Asian Cup is destined to be a historic defeat for Chinese football.
The news of head coach Jankovic's dismissal is even more staggering. He worked hard for the national football team, but in the end he failed to lead the team to satisfactory results. All of a sudden, questions about Chinese football arose, and fans began to ask: What happened to Chinese football?
The performance in the Asian Cup tour of the national football team has been disappointing and it seems that we are getting farther and farther away from the Asian powerhouses. Where has Chinese football progressed? Is it because of the lack of training, or because of the superior quality of the opponents? The answers to these questions do not seem to be enough to explain the situation behind Chinese football.
The poor performance of the national football team in the Asian Cup has triggered a series of questions about Chinese football, and people have begun to re-examine the current situation of Chinese football. Where is the backwardness of Chinese football? Is it because of the superior strength of the opponent? Or is it because of the inherent problems of Chinese football? No matter what the reason, only by re-examining the current situation and finding the crux of the problem can we give Chinese football a way out for development.
The responsibility for this failure should not be borne by the manager alone. On the part of the Football Association, there was a lack of work and preparation as early as before the game. As an authoritative department and governing body, the Football Association did not give the national football team sufficient preparation time and high-level warm-up matches before the Asian Cup, resulting in a worrying state of the national football team. The Football Association has also failed to play its due leading role in the reform of Chinese football, which has invested a huge amount of money, and has failed to promote the direction of the league's operation. In the process of introducing a large number of foreign coaches to the league teams and spending money like crazy, the Football Association has neither taken effective measures to restrain and standardize, nor guided it in terms of concepts and strategies, which has directly led to the confusion of the national football lineup and tactical ideas.
Managers and players are also to blame for failures. Jankovic was unable to find the best staffing and tactical play in the limited time, and the players were in poor mental condition and out of shape. At critical moments, there was no real leader in the team, and there was no tenacious fighting spirit. In the game, every time the opponent scores, the national football players show a dejected and definite expression on their faces, and this attitude and psychological state is unacceptable.
After the game, Jankovic automatically asked Ying to take the blame for the class, and there was no suspense about the result. With the latest FIFA ranking of the national football team falling to 86th, coupled with the tragic situation of being eliminated in the group stage of the Asian Cup, the difficulty of coaching after the new head coach takes over can be said to be unprecedentedly high. Choosing to coach the national football team in such a sluggish environment is a huge challenge for any head coach.
Some fans and public opinion have called for the hiring of foreign coaches again, hoping to solve the problem by bringing in first-class European coaches with high salaries. Indeed, first-class foreign coaches are theoretically the fastest way to improve the strength of the national football team, but considering the current chaotic environment of Chinese football operations, it is difficult to fundamentally deal with the reasons for relying solely on sky-high foreign coaches. At this stage, what Chinese football lacks most is systematic construction, which requires overall planning and concept guidance, and this requires a local head coach who has a better understanding of the development process of Chinese football and has a long-term vision.
Among the multiple homegrown head coach options, Gao Hongbo should be the best candidate. He has served as the coach of the national football team twice, and he has achieved good results, and he has a better understanding of the players and the overall situation of the national football team. During the last time he led the team, the international ranking of the national football team rose to 69th, and the record was quite impressive. Gao Hongbo has a clear tactical idea, and his style of play reflects the characteristics of the national football team. After he left the national football team, he took charge of youth training in the Football Association, and he had certain experience in the selection and training of newcomers. Considering his age and familiarity with the national football team, Gao Hongbo is the most suitable candidate at the moment.
The current football environment in the mainland is not optimistic, and in the face of such a sluggish situation, Gao Hongbo may stimulate the morale of the players and mobilize the positive factors in the team. He has led the Olympic team and youth teams at all levels in more difficult circumstances, and through the fierce battle of the 08 Olympic qualifiers, he can find a way to rekindle the morale of the players.
In addition, in terms of annual salary, Coach Gao is also more suitable for the financial situation of the national football team at this stage. The mainland has invested heavily in the introduction of foreign teachers for several consecutive years, but the strength of the national football team has not improved significantly, but its status in Asia has been declining. Camacho, Perran, Lippi and other foreign coaches have all left with high salaries, they come and go in a hurry, and their contribution to continental football is limited. Gao Hongbo's previous annual salary was only one million yuan, which was extremely cost-effective, which was the wisest choice.
Of course, Gao Hongbo is not the only candidate. Coaches such as Choi Kang-hee and Seo Jung-won also have high strength and are candidates worth considering. But in general, in the current environment, Gao Hongbo's familiarity and concept commitment should be higher than that of other candidates. In addition, Asian coaches such as South Korean coach Baek Bong-so are also viable options.
Regardless of the final candidate, this time the national football team should develop in the direction of localization, which is an inevitable choice in the current situation. After the fall of Asian football, we need such a local coach who is familiar with the national conditions and has a systematic way of thinking, and leads Chinese football back on the right track through concept guidance, personnel selection, and tactical polishing. At the same time, it is also a reflection on the perception of foreign systems. It is difficult to fundamentally improve the overall strength of mainland football by simply relying on sky-high foreign coaches, but it may do more harm than good. I believe that the Football Association will make a rational choice this time and truly consider the long-term development needs of the national football team. It is expected that the new coach can quickly adjust the state of the national football team and revitalize the prestige of the national football team.