When the tournament came to an end, the camera locked Song Kai, he looked ironic and bitter, and the past public occasions that cordial smile formed a strong contrast. As chairman of the Football Association, the burden on his shoulders is self-evident. Since Song Kai has been in charge of the FA, Chinese soccer seems to be in endless trouble, and it is difficult to find a trace of solace.
After taking office, the Chinese women's soccer team first suffered a heartbreaking loss in the World Cup and failed to reach the finals of the Asian Games, where they were breached four times by Japan in the first half. Immediately after that, the Olympic final was lost again. 2024 saw China's men's soccer team eliminated at the group stage of the Asian Cup, and the U23s bid an early farewell to the Paris Olympics. The last round of World Cup qualifiers, we drew with Singapore, which was a disgrace, and now we are in a desperate situation.
These predicaments are not caused by Song Kai, but as the president of the Football Association, he is under the same enormous pressure. Meanwhile, the national soccer team's head coach, Ivankovic, is also under considerable pressure. Although both sides signed a long-term contract, there are clear goals at every stage. Currently, Ivan and his team need to lead the Chinese men's soccer team into the top 18. If they fail to achieve this goal, Ivankovic will face the risk of dismissal, and the compensation will not be too high, which is clearly stipulated in the contract. The FA is not a fool and will not be easily damaged. Therefore, if the Chinese men's soccer team fails to make a breakthrough in the next matches, it is likely that they will not be able to get out of the group stage. Next Tuesday, Ivankovic will coach the Chinese men's football team's last game, and the match with South Korea will be his curtain call.
