As night falls, the clock is about to ring on October 12, marking the deadline for the selection of the new head coach of China's women's soccer team. Four aspiring candidates have already surfaced in the race: Liu Lin, the champion coach of last season's Women's Super League; Wang Jun, the young and promising head coach of the U20 women's national team; Zhao Junzhe, the experienced leader of Guangzhou City; and Chan Yuen-ting, a coach from Hong Kong. In the final countdown, there may be more enthusiastic soccer people ready to join the race for the job.
Recall that eight days ago, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) officially released the news of recruiting a new coach for our women's soccer team. Among the list of applicants, Chen Wanting stood out for her unique status - she is the first female coach in the world to win the men's top league, holds the honor of AFC Female Coach of the Year, and has been in charge of the U16 women's national team since 2019. Liu Lin, on the other hand, is a legend in the Women's Super League, taking the Wuhan Women's Football Team from the Women's First Division to the Women's Super League and helping them win the title. Wang Jun also has a wealth of coaching experience in the women's soccer world and has been a candidate for national team coach several times.
Among these candidates, Zhao Junzhe's name attracts particular attention. He was not only an outstanding player, but also held important positions in the first line of soccer after his retirement, and his rich soccer career is admirable.
The registration channel has been opened since the 8th for four days. After the application deadline, CFA will review the qualifications of all applicants and submit a list of qualified candidates to the selection panel. The expert group will discuss and finalize the candidates for interviews. Interviews are scheduled for October 14-15, and candidates who are unable to attend on-site will complete the interviews online. During the interview process, the candidates will be required to present their coaching philosophy, team formation ideas and personal strengths through PPT, as well as analyze the development trend of international women's soccer and the situation of major Asian and international rivals, and elaborate on the goals and preparation strategies of China's women's football team in the Asian Cup, the International Cup, the Asian Games and the Olympic Games. Afterwards, the panel will ask questions about the nominees' comprehensive abilities.
After the Tokyo Olympics, China's women's soccer head coach position of the candidate is of great concern. The CFA's open selection process has provided a stage for qualified potential candidates to showcase themselves. Several candidates have their own merits, and after screening and interviews, the new manager of China's women's soccer team will be finalized in the near future. The first task of the new manager will be to prepare for the Asian Cup/International Cup qualifiers to be held in India in January next year, but in view of the current epidemic situation, the arrangements for the tournament are still subject to further negotiation.
