On September 6, 2024, the Chinese men's football team suffered a 0-7 defeat on the road against Japan in the first round of the Group C of the World Preliminary League Asian 18-team tournament. After the match, Muric expressed his disbelief at such an unexpectedly large defeat and responded to fans' concerns on social media.
Fan Buzz: "A country of 1.4 billion people can't find 11 players who can play soccer? What's going on here?"
Muric said bluntly, "In my opinion, the crux lies in the club's youth training system. Each club in the Chinese Super League, Chinese League One and Chinese League Two should have youth soccer teams from U11 to U20. Such a system is the key to success globally."
