Ivankovic has had a rocky road at the helm of the national soccer team. In an interview, Ivan revealed a little-known detail: the contract he signed with the Chinese Football Association contained a harsh clause - if Ivan failed to lead the team to win a specified number of matches or fail to reach the top 18 of the World Cup qualifying rounds, he faced dismissal from his post and was made a scapegoat on the coaching staff of the national team. Nonetheless, Ivan accepted the condition just to be part of the national team.
Ivan said: "I am ready to lead all the players through this difficult time because there is no risk without reward. I firmly believe that the Chinese team has unlimited potential and that we have a chance to overcome all the difficulties and reach the World Cup. As a coach, I shouldn't be bound by my contract but be judged by my match results and coaching ability."
However, the Chinese men's soccer team's current World Cup qualification situation is not optimistic. In order to secure a spot in the top eighteen, we will challenge Thailand in the World Qualifier in June. If we draw or lose against our opponents, the national soccer team will likely be relegated to World Cup spectators once again. As for Ivankovic, he may have to face the embarrassment of being forced to resign after just four months of taking over the national team, making him the shortest tenured national team manager in nearly 20 years!
