Amidst the hubbub of coach training seminars, national soccer team manager Li Tie was suddenly subjected to a close investigation by the Wuhan police, an incident that instantly ignited the soccer buzz during the World Cup. Following Lippi's resignation, Li Tie and Li Xiaopeng's ability to command the field became a mystery in the mouths of fans. Despite the CFA's reticence, Li's fate seems to be in jeopardy. Meanwhile, whether the national team will continue to look for foreign coaches to prepare for the Asian Cup and World Cup qualifiers in Qatar has also become the focus of public speculation.
Meanwhile, the Brazilian club Corinthians has decisively announced the departure of former Shanghai Seaports boss Pereira. Although Corinthians finished fourth in the Brazilian soccer first division, it did not meet the club's expectations. Looking back at 2018, Pereira led Shanghai Seaports to their first Chinese Super League title as head coach, ending Guangzhou Evergrande's dominance. Pereira's experience working with Harbour's key players Wu Lei and naturalized player Ekson has provided a strong guarantee for the national team's performance at the Asian Cup in Qatar. In addition, Pereira's familiarity with the technical characteristics of Chinese players will help him integrate quickly into the national soccer team's coaching staff.
When Pereira led Harbour to the top of the Chinese Super League, Chen Xuyuan, president of the Chinese Football Association, witnessed the glorious moment. Chen Xuyuan spoke highly of Pereira's coaching ability. Now, Chen Xuyuan may support the former Harbour coach to succeed Li Xiaopeng as the new head coach of the national soccer team. Pereira, being unemployed, has become one of the favorites to become the new coach of the national team. The proximity of the Asian Cup in Qatar has made the national team's preparations particularly crucial, and the vacancy in the coaching seat has undoubtedly had a negative impact on the team.
However, Pereira's coaching ability is still questioned by some fans. He has left China after being dropped from clubs such as Galatasaray, Olympiacos and Corinthians, with some speculating that he only came to China to make a fortune. The demise of the Chinese Super League's Golden Source soccer has made it difficult for the CFA to attract top coaches like Lippi. Even if Pereira's coaching fails to live up to expectations, the CFA will not pay high liquidated damages. After all, for Chinese soccer, the Qatar World Cup is just a practice ground while the national team aims to reach the next World Cup finals. The allocation of 8.5 places in the Asian World Cup will undoubtedly provide more opportunities for the national team to advance.
