The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has terminated Branko Ivankovic's contract as head coach of the Chinese men's national football team. This decision was announced on Friday via the CFA's official Weibo account. The move follows the team's elimination from the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Dejan Djurdjevic, previously the head coach of the China U20 national team, has been named interim head coach. He will lead the team in the upcoming East Asian Football Championship scheduled for July. The CFA also stated that they will begin the process of selecting a new permanent head coach.
China's World Cup aspirations were dashed on June 5th after a 1-0 loss to Indonesia. Following that match, Ivankovic acknowledged his "significant responsibility" for the team's disappointing performance.
In the post-match press conference after the final qualifying match against Bahrain, Ivankovic avoided questions about his future plans, but expressed his anticipation for the East Asian football tournament. Ivankovic faced criticism for his tactical choices, particularly his consistent use of a 4-4-2 diamond formation. The team concluded the qualifying campaign with a record of three wins and seven losses, finishing fifth in Group C. The group included Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Bahrain.
5 Comments
Bella Ciao
Another coach bites the dust, but the real problems lie much deeper than the manager. Same old story.
Mariposa
The blame could be put on poor training. It's not just one person to blame. China's team needs to come together.
Bella Ciao
Three wins and seven losses is unacceptable. It's time for a new direction and the team is ready.
Habibi
There is no real plan in place to turn around the team's recent failures. They need to improve in multiple areas.
Coccinella
Scapegoating the coach again? The CFA needs to overhaul its entire system, not just change the head coach every few months.