After a 10-month break following the Qatar World Qualifying Asian Zone 12 tournament at the end of March 2022, the Chinese men's soccer team's head coach has finally been named.
Serbian coach Jankovic, 50, has finally taken over the imprimatur of the Chinese men's soccer team. Jankovic's debut as head coach of the Chinese men's soccer team will be staged on March 23, when China plays a friendly against New Zealand in Auckland.
Coach Jankovic instructs players before training. AFP photo
Prior to this, rumors that Jankovic was about to become the new coach of the national football team had been spreading for some time. Previously, the Serbian was not the first choice of the CFA. According to media reports, the CFA had previously communicated with Queiroz, Ola Royo, Stojkovic and other "enthusiasts", but these target candidates were either not interested in coaching the national football team, or the treatment requirements exceeded the CFA's ability to afford. Under no circumstances, the CFA chose Yankovic - at least he is in line with the principle of the national football team to select the coach "with familiar not to use the raw".
After two local coaches, Li Tie and Li Xiaopeng, Jankovic became another foreign coach in charge of the national soccer coach India. The last foreign coach to take charge of national soccer coaching was the world-famous Lippi. Coincidentally, with Jankovic's "innovation", the head coaches of the Chinese men's soccer team and the Chinese men's basketball team are both Serbian.
You can't play with more than 10% body fat
Players must suffer
In 2018, Yankovic came to China to become the head coach of the U19 national youth team. He insists on running 10 kilometers a day and pays special attention to dietary norms.
On his team, youngsters had to eat breakfast by 8 a.m. and were disqualified once their body fat percentage exceeded 10 percent.
"I'm not going to change the eating habits of Chinese players, but young people must understand what unhealthy food is. In the world of soccer, we must have a strong body, and failure is an inevitable result of substandard fitness and strength." It also shows that Jankovic's team places great importance on physical confrontation and self-discipline.
In addition, Yankovic's "key technology" is very detailed. In the process of leading the men's soccer team in the Asian Games, almost every "newcomer" has accepted the "small stove" that he opened separately after stopping the training, and listened to his explanation of the technical and tactical requirements in detail. Yankovic led the Olympic team to have some surprise moments, especially the Dubai Cup, Shang Hao single-game high three happy, attracted a lot of people's attention. When leading the Olympics, he preferred to use a four-back formation. Center Fang Hao has good strength and confrontation, bringing in a lot of back rowers to follow up and penetrate quickly. Overall, he is a coach who focuses on lateral pick-up points and accelerating forward teams, eager to play with tension at the transition between offense and defense.
Choosing technology is choosing attitude
Attitude ranks first in Jankovic's soccer philosophy. "We look not only at the skills of the players, but also at their character. Players must first and foremost have team spirit and be willing to suffer on the pitch. I don't have the difference between training and playing, so I have to try my best all the time."
"We represent China and wear the robes of the national team, the players should have a strong sense of honor. We will choose such players that this team can keep fighting on the pitch, not be afraid to face any opponent, show enough aggression and keep fighting with high intensity." Yankovic said.
What does the National Football League desperately need Yankovic to fix?
For the current soccer environment and the strength base of the national football team, the head coach is no longer the main factor to determine the national football team to take off. Lippi, who led Italy to the World Cup, obviously can't expect Jankovic to bring a "qualitative leap" to the national soccer team.
Many soccer insiders say that Jankovic could also be considered a "great contributor" if he is able to develop some of the young players in this team who can develop in the Eredivisie.
In last year's World Cup qualifiers in Qatar, the average age of the national soccer team was close to 30. This proves that the "newcomers" are not as strong as the "oldsters". Yankovic still has to decide whether to give more youngsters a chance or to compromise and trust the veterans.
Insiders believe that Jankovic was recognized and passed the "test" is the 2022 East Asian Cup. In this game, Jankovic has begun to prepare for the national football team "blood change".
In the first match, the national soccer team lost to South Korea with three goals and only one goal. In a situation where public opinion has been "strange", Jankovic not only did not blame the players, but also has been encouraging the young players, especially the backbone of the defense who scored the goal, Joo Chan Jae, not to be discouraged.
Fang Hao (R) confronts a Japanese player during a match at the 2022 East Asian Cup. AFP photo
After that, the national soccer team drew with Japan on a 0 for 0 basis ︰ 0 in an unfavorable situation. Although this Japanese team did not recruit any European players and was composed of local league players, the paper strength was also higher than the national soccer team at that time. After the draw against Japan, Jankovic was not proud of the draw. He thought that he could have even gotten 3 points if his team's offense would have done better.
According to the calendar, the national football team will participate in November 2023 in the 36-team 2026 World Cup qualifying tournament and the final stage of the 2023 Asian Cup.
Now, Jankovic has a new challenge. The choice of such a coach who knows China's U23 youngsters best may also indicate a greater blood exchange in the national soccer team. Many are not optimistic about Jankovic, believing that he may just be a transitional coach for the national soccer team, given his ordinary resume and the fact that he has not shown anything extraordinary during his time leading the men's soccer team and the Asian Games. Can he contribute more to Chinese soccer as he expected? What kind of story will he write in the history of Chinese soccer? Let's wait and see.
