China's new coach causes controversy

Can coach Shao Jiayi help Chinese football regain its position?

On the afternoon of November 5, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) surprised everyone by choosing a domestic strategist with little success to be the coach of the national team. Coach Shao Jiayi, born in 1980, is one of the most successful Chinese players in Europe.

He played 36 times for the Chinese national team (2000–2011), scored 9 goals, participated in the 2002 World Cup and was instrumental in the miracle of bringing the home team to the final of the 2004 AFC Asian Cup. Shao's peak career lasted nearly 10 years in Germany for clubs such as TSV 1860 Munich, Energie Cottbus, and MSV Duisburg.

However, as a coach, Thieu Gia Nghi has not been very successful. He used to be an assistant at Beijing Guo An Club and the Chinese U19/U23 youth teams. In the 2025 season, this coach made a splash when he helped Qingdao West Coast - a newly promoted team in the Chinese Super League - cause a surprise and successfully stay in the league.

However, the CFA's choice of a domestic coach with little success has caused great controversy. The reaction from fans on Chinese social media is mostly skeptical, because the national team has been in decline for a long time. Many fans expressed their wish that the CFA appoint a famous coach from Europe who understands modern football.

In June, the Chinese Football Association terminated the contract with coach Branko Ivankovic and his coaching staff after the loss to Indonesia in the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

According to the announcement from CFA, the decision was made after the Chinese team failed to qualify for the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup. The clause in the contract allows CFA to unilaterally terminate cooperation with the Croatian strategist when the goal of qualifying for the round is not completed.

Source: https://znews.vn/hlv-moi-cua-tuyen-trung-quoc-gay-tranh-cai-post1600131.html