Can Branko Ivankovic revive China?
“The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has decided to appoint Ivankovic to prepare for the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Canada-Mexico-USA (North and Central America),” the organization announced on its website on Thursday. “Ivankovic has coached several teams, including Hannover (Germany), Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia), the Iranian national team and the Omani national team. He has also won the Chinese Super League title with Shandong Luneng in 2010.”
Three games without a goal and a draw. That’s China’s record at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2023. In 12 Asian Cups, from the 1976 Asian Cup in Iran to the 2019 Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the team has never been held scoreless. Aleksandar Jankovic’s reign, from age-group to national team, was a complete failure.
After the group stage, Jankovic said, “There are generally two types of managers. There are two types of coaches in general: those who have been sacked or those who will be sacked. I don’t focus on personal things. I’ve been in China for almost six years, I prepared one generation, and I’m preparing the next. I tried to give, not take. I tried to do my best and have no regrets.”
“It’s more disappointing than I expected, we’ve missed a lot of chances in the three games we’ve played here. There is no way to advance without scoring. We are starting to think about qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Canada-Mexico-USA (North and Central America). China will continue to move forward and can never go backwards,” he added. However, Jankovic remained tight-lipped.
Only the official announcement remained. “After a disastrous result at the Asian Cup, China has fired Jankovic,” wrote Serbian ‘Espresso’. CAF has announced his dismissal and an official announcement is expected soon. Jankovic has returned to his hometown with his coaching staff and has been heavily criticized by the Chinese,” said Espresso, pointing to the impending firing of Jankovic.
China’s transition to a new commander was swift. But confidence was still high. As China’s Sina Sports reported, “The CFA has begun the process of selecting a new coach, but the position is still a popular one. There are reports that foreign coaches who have performed well in the league, such as Shandong coach Choi Kang-hee and Chengdu coach Seo Won-jeong, are on the list. With the holidays coming up, the new coach is not expected to be confirmed until the end of February.”
Ivankovic was then mentioned. “The search for a new coach has begun,” said Sina Sports. Ivankovic has a good understanding of Asian soccer, has coached various Asian club teams and national teams, and has also coached Shandong. He is the most suitable candidate at the moment.”
Ivankovic, a veteran Croatian coach, has coached the Iranian national team, Shandong, Ittifaq, Al Wahda, Persepolis, Al Ahli, and Oman. His experience at Shandong, where he coached from 2009 to 2011, was highly regarded and led to his appointment to the national team.
But public sentiment is still cold. The Sina Sports article announcing Ivankovic’s appointment was filled with self-help comments such as “He’ll be fired soon,” “They’ve found a new scapegoat,” and “What’s the point of changing the chef if the ingredients are not good?”
“China is in the doldrums, and it’s grasping at straws,” said Sina Sports. Ryan Layton (maternal Chinese) of Dutch second division Den Bosch, Ryan Liu (paternal Chinese) of 메이저토토사이트 Manchester City U-16, and Ryan Raposo (maternal Chinese, Chinese name Wu Xiaohai), who played for Canada’s Olympic team.”
Of the three, Wu is the one they are most excited about. “Wu Xiaohai is close to Chinese soccer. He plays for the Vancouver Whitecaps and is a player with strong beliefs. Although he doesn’t have a strong physique, he is always brave in one-on-one fights.”
“Since his professional debut, Wu Xiaohai has played as a winger, which has been his preferred position, but he can also play as a fullback on either flank and demonstrate his ability to move forward. In theory, he is well suited to the double wing-back formation set up by China national team coach Aleksandar Jankovic. According to TransferMarkt, he is valued at €1.5 million. “I’m looking forward to seeing if Wu Xiaohai can usher in a new phase in Chinese soccer.
China’s policy of naturalizing homegrown players and foreign mercenaries has been in place for some time, with little success. Naturally, fans have been less than enthusiastic: “Let’s fire the incompetent Jankovic and the Olympic team coach first, and then we can talk about other things,” the article in Sina Sports reads, “What good is such naturalization?”
China has moved on with Ivankovic, but public opinion hasn’t recovered. China will prepare for next month’s 2026 North and Central American World Cup Asia qualifier against Singapore.