According to authoritative media disclosure, China's new national team coach Ivankovic plans to go to Jinan to observe the first round of the AFC Champions League quarterfinals between Shandong Taishan and Yokohama Mariners, which will be held on the 6th. This trip, Ivankovic not only shoulders the important task of selecting candidates for the national football team, its experience as a coach of the Taishan team also adds an extraordinary color to his inspection work.
An announcement released by the Chinese Football Association (CFA) showed that Ivankovic arrived in Beijing on the 4th to officially start his career as a national team coach. It is worth mentioning that he had also watched the Super Cup match between Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai Port on February 25th. However, after the Super Cup, Ivankovic returned to Zagreb, Croatia in a hurry in order to renew his Chinese visa and organize his luggage.
Ivankovic left a lasting impression on Shandong fans when he took over the coaching reins at Taishan in 2009 and led the team to the Super League title in the 2010 season with a three-loss record. Unfortunately, he left in 2011.
Nowadays, most of the players in the Taishan team have retired, and only a few players such as Zheng Zheng, Zhang Chi and Wang Tong are still playing for the team. It is worth noting that these three made their Super League debut in the 2010 season.
Given the age factor, it may be difficult for three of Ivanovic's former fans to make the national team again. Which player will win the favor of Ivankovic at the familiar Jinan venue? This mystery is about to be revealed.
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