On July 14th, a hot summer day, the Chinese Men's National Football Selection Team was in Qingdao preparing for the East Asian Football Championships. The team held two training sessions on the same day, strengthening their core strength in the morning at the residence, and launching practical drills at the field in the afternoon. In between the training sessions, head coach Jankovic gave an exclusive interview to the media.
Speaking about the upcoming East Asian Football Championship, Jankovic admitted that it will be a tough test with strong opponents. However, he firmly believes that only by competing against strong teams can the team improve its level, "We are honored to represent China to compete with these strong teams, we respect every opponent, but we respect the jersey we are wearing and the country we represent even more. We will do our best to show our strength and level. Every player will support each other and step onto the field with team honor."
Speaking about the opponents, Jankovic emphasized that he does not pay too much attention to the information of the opponents, but focuses on himself, "We respect our opponents, no matter who they are. We prepare our own tactics and strategies and want to create a unique style. When the players need key information about the opponent, the coach will provide it and we will be very well prepared. Every player has a responsibility on both the defensive and offensive ends of the field, and we want to make sure that every player gives their best every moment they are on the field, with no regrets. As for how the opponent's lineup is, as the head coach, I don't really care, we just focus on ourselves. We care more about who we are, who we represent, and what we represent is our country."
Talking about players' injuries, Jankovic said that this situation has been encountered before and is not a difficult problem, "Players have experience in the league, and some people get injured. When we select players, we don't force them to play if they are not at 100 percent recovery. We maintain good communication with the players themselves and the clubs and will only call up players who are fully ready. We have spoken to every player and they all harbor a strong desire to play for their country."
In addition, Jankovic thanked the clubs for their support in allowing the team to participate in the East Asian Championships. He also expressed his gratitude to the city of Qingdao for providing the team with a quality training environment.
