The FA's latest unveiling of the national team coach selection program, Li Xiaopeng, foreign coaches to hire and Olympic gold medal coach Yang Kovic are included in the consideration. Among the three proposals, Li Xiaopeng's program seems to be the most feasible, although his past national team coaching performance is not bright. However, in the current unfavorable conditions of the national team, he seems to have become the "ideal candidate" in the eyes of the Football Association.
The three main factors that prompted the FA to insist on having Li at the helm of the national team cannot be ignored. First, the FA has seen its coaching budget plummet as a result of the collapse of the Chinese Super League brand and the loss of league rights and sponsor funding. With big corporations such as Wanda and Evergrande, as well as brokers' sponsorships breaking down, the desire to hire foreign, highly-paid coaches has become unattainable.
Secondly, the environment in which Chinese soccer, and especially the national team, operates is well known. It's hard for good coaches to take the plunge in the absence of attractive offers. Even Jankovic was disappointed with coaching the national team. Therefore, despite the FA's apparent preference for foreign coaches, in reality, "internal excavation" has become the norm in recent years, as it is not easy to find the right talent.
Third, Li's unique status made him stand out in the coaching selection. In fact, the FA never considered him as the first choice, but as a coach assigned by his superiors, he had a good relationship with the FA and became a rare candidate who took into account the interests of both sides, which was crucial to the stability of the team and a reflection of his "high emotional intelligence".
Sources say that even if Jankovic ends up at the helm of the national team, Li Xiaopeng could play an important role in the new coaching team. In any case, the likelihood of Li Xiaopeng taking over as coach of the national team is more than 50 percent. While he may not be the most ideal choice, there is no room for him to be picky with the CFA.
