On January 7, Beiqing Sports released an exclusive report focusing on the coaching turnover of Chinese Super League teams. It is reported that Henan was the first to usher in South Korean coach Nam Ki I at the helm, and at the beginning of the new year, eight Chinese Super League teams have replaced their coaches, without exception, all of them are expatriates. Among the 16 clubs in the Chinese Super League, only three are coached by local coaches.
Reports indicate that after last season's "nirvana rebirth", the Chinese Super League is gradually returning to the right track of professional soccer. However, under the pressure of survival and fierce competition, most clubs are forced to seek change to reverse the decline. Although the motives for changing coaches are different, the goal is the same - either to strive for survival, or the pursuit of better development.
It is worth noting that while the results of the club's access are yet to be announced, eight companies have already changed their coaches, and all of them have chosen foreign coaches. In this regard, a senior soccer agent said that after three tough seasons from 2020 to 2022, the Chinese Super League regained vitality last season. With the normalization of the introduction of foreign aid in the local league, the introduction of foreign coaches is also active again. Although the tide of "golden dollar soccer" has made it difficult for international coaches like Lippi and Scolari to return to Chinese soccer in the short term, the status of foreign coaches is still not to be underestimated, and the competition is getting fiercer and fiercer.
It was revealed that Choi Kang-hee became the most expensive coach among the Chinese Super League teams with an annual salary of US$4 million. He is followed by Hong Kong's Muscat and Shenhua's Slutsky with annual salaries between $2 million and $3 million. Other club coaches are paid between US$1 million and US$3 million a year. However, regardless of the price tag, clubs are extra cautious in signing contracts. Meanwhile, the pursuit of cost-effective coaches is also reflected in the choice of target direction. For example, six of the eight new coaches mentioned above have coaching experience in the J-League and K-League, which makes them more familiar with Asian soccer and easier to integrate.
At present, the 16 teams in the Chinese Super League, there are only 3 by the local coach leadership, respectively, Cangzhou Lions coach Zhao Junzhe, Changchun Yatai coach Chen Yang and Tianjin Jinmen Tiger coach Yu Genwei. The reason why they are able to stay in their positions is largely due to the good results they achieved last season, but at the same time, they may also become "scapegoats" when their clubs' performance is poor. At the same time, local coaches are often entrusted with the heavy responsibility of "fire-fighters" and "transition coaches".
Looking back at the actual situation in previous years, a season, a considerable part of the team's coaching seat will not remain stable. 2024 Super League coaching drama, will continue to be staged.
