When the Southeast Asian teams participated in the 14th Southeast Asian Championship and four Southeast Asian teams reached the semifinals of the Asian Cup, and when the eight Gulf countries participated in the 25th Gulf Cup in Iraq and four teams reached the semifinals, it was clear to all the fans: these tournaments were the warm-up matches before the Asian national teams prepared for the final of the 2023 Asian Cup, and it would also raise the question: what is the Chinese national team doing?
In fact, such problems existed as early as last year. When the Asian teams were scheduled for international A matches in June and September 2022, the window designated by FIFA for national team matches, the Chinese national team did not make any moves. It's not that the CFA and the Chinese national team didn't want to organize training to prepare for the Asian Cup, but because of the reality of the epidemic, there was considerable pressure to prevent the epidemic, let alone participate in international matches. Therefore, it is also necessary to temporarily give up organizing training for the national team's U23 national team, including the 99-year-old.
In past competitions, the CSL often interrupted the training of the national team.In the second half of 2022, due to practical circumstances, the national soccer team did not organize training to ensure that the CSL could be fully conducted. In addition, from a market development and business perspective, when the overall reality was difficult and investments were facing major difficulties, it was also a more rational choice in the circumstances to fulfill the original contract as much as possible. As a result, the national team made a sacrifice for the time being.
On the other hand, before the relevant parties clarify the management of the Chinese men's national football team, the CFA really can not act without authorization, Li Xiaopeng is still the head coach of the Chinese men's national football team. Only after the relevant parties made it clear that the men's national team would no longer be under the responsibility of the "leading working group", but would be decentralized to the CFA, the CFA would be able to carry out the next stage of work. Therefore, the national football team to re-open the selection of the news, the outside world constantly questioned the CFA "early to do what", "why can not immediately after the end of the 12 strong match to carry out the selection of the work of the manager" and so on.
However, frankly speaking, the situation and circumstances facing the CFA are now more complex than ever before. One of the most realistic situations is that the three-year epidemic has brought Chinese soccer's external communication to a virtual standstill, not to mention having its own connections and channels. Therefore, I am afraid that the selection of coaches can only be made through the line of agents. The same is true for Chinese soccer. In the past golden age, the value of foreign teachers was speculated so ridiculously, I'm afraid the role of the agent in the "dishonorable" needless to say. Moreover, the influence of the golden era, some of the impression of Chinese soccer has been solidified, resulting in foreign teachers from the beginning of the offer is not low. Now, when the CFA reopened the national soccer team selection process, agents from all walks of life will certainly not miss such an opportunity.
However, one of the embarrassing realities facing Chinese soccer is that there is no money and no people. The soccer association has also been affected and impacted by the epidemic and cannot spend more money on hiring foreign teachers, like the few foreign teachers hired after the 2002 World Cup, because the Chinese Football Association cannot afford the high salaries. As for Camacho, Lippi can coach the Chinese team because their salaries are not all borne by the Chinese Football Association or a higher level of management, but with the help of external forces, but this also has a huge negative impact on the management. Therefore, this time, the Chinese Football Association would like to employ foreign teachers, provided that the soccer association pays the salaries itself, not with the help of external forces, in order to avoid repeating the same management mistakes. However, the fact that the CFA is "short of money" is a fact that does not need to be debated.
As for the so-called "no one", of course, it refers to the players, which means that there are not many good, good players. For example, the legendary Portuguese Queiroz (former coach of Iran) is China's favorite candidate, but according to Qatar, the Qatar Football Association is also planning to hire him to replace the Spaniard Alexis Sanchez for the next national team. A team fresh from the World Cup that lost three matches in the group stage, but needless to say the Qatar national team's potentially young players, and a team with the oldest average age in the final 12 matches, with a 93-year-old player making his national team debut and scoring the first goal in the final 12 matches. As a coach, who would they prefer? This could be a topic of no debate.
As a result, Chinese soccer can't afford to pay high salaries and the talent pool of players can't compare to its Asian rivals. So why can the Chinese national team find a good coach? This is the reality that Chinese soccer needs to face! From the CFA's point of view, and from the long-term perspective of Chinese soccer, the reality is far from ideal. Therefore, it is normal that there is no substantial news so far.
