The night lowered to 24:00 on October 12, the stage of China's women's football has ushered in an important turning point - the application window for the selection of a new head coach fell on time. It is reported that four outstanding people have already submitted their applications, they are: Liu Lin, the leader of Wuhan Chedujiang Da team, the champion of the Women's Super League in the previous season; Wang Jun, the leader of the U20 women's national team; Zhao Junzhe, the helmsman of Guangzhou City team; and Chan Yuen-ting, the leading coach in Hong Kong.
Rewind to October 8, a paper announcement from the CFA kicked off the search for a new women's soccer head coach. Among the candidates, Chen Wanting is notable for her unique female identity - she is the "world's first female coach to win the men's top flight" certified by the Guinness World Records, and was honored as the AFC Women's Coach of the Year in 2016, and has been at the helm of the U16 women's national team since 2019. She was awarded the AFC Female Coach of the Year in 2016 and has been in charge of the U16 women's national team since 2019. Liu Lin, on the other hand, is the champion coach of the Women's Super League in the 2020 season, having pushed the Wuhan Women's Football Team from the Women's First Division to the Women's Super League two years ago, and then later accomplished the new king of the Women's Super League. Wang Jun, as the head coach of the U20 women's national team, his rich coaching experience makes him a strong contender for the women's soccer throne.
When it comes to Zhao Junzhe, his name is ringing extraordinarily loud in this recruitment. His glory days as a player and his coaching career after retirement have proven him to be a soccer man of extraordinary strength.
The application period lasted from the release of the announcement to October 12, a short period of four days. After the application deadline, CFA conducted a strict review of the candidates' qualifications and submitted a list of eligible candidates to the Selection and Recruitment Expert Group. After in-depth discussion by the expert group, the candidates who will enter the interview session were finally identified. The interviews are scheduled for October 14th and 15th, and for candidates who are unable to attend the on-site interviews in Beijing in person, they can complete the interviews through online means. During the interview, candidates will be required to present their coaching philosophy, team formation ideas and personal strengths, and analyze the trends in women's soccer, Asia and the world's major rivals. In addition, they should also explain the goals and preparation strategies of Chinese women's soccer in the Asian Cup, World Cup, Asian Games and Olympic Games. At the end of the interview, the panel will ask questions, focusing on the candidates' comprehensive ability.
After the Tokyo Olympics, the Chinese women's soccer team's marquee change has been the focus of public attention. The CFA's open recruitment has provided a stage for qualified soccer people to show themselves. Several candidates have their own strengths, and after screening and interviews, the new head coach of the Chinese women's soccer team will be announced in the near future. The new manager's first task after taking office will be to prepare for the Asian Cup and World Cup qualifier scheduled to be held in India in January next year. However, the conduct of the tournament is subject to further discussion in view of the current epidemic situation.
