Ivan is Not the Key Problem: ‍Chinese Football Needs More “Choi Young-hee”

Ivankovic continues to coach the Chinese national football team. Xinhua News‌ Agency (file photo)

‍ Ivankovic’s continued leadership of the Chinese national football team has disappointed⁢ many fans. ⁤However,⁢ one reality that cannot⁣ be ignored is that even if ⁢Ivankovic is replaced, the fact that Chinese football lacks sufficient competitiveness in the Asian arena will not change in the short term. As people often say, the key to solving a ⁢problem is to‌ find the‍ key problem. Obviously, Ivankovic is not​ the key problem, and replacing Ivan ‌will not​ solve ‌all problems.

Can Ivan “Make⁤ Meritorious ‍Contributions While Guilty”?

Australian head coach Arnold announced his resignation ​after careful consideration. Australia, the opponent of the⁢ Chinese national football team in the next World Cup Asian qualifiers, became the second team to change coaches in the‍ top 18 after Oman. In the first‌ two rounds of the top 18, Australia lost to Bahrain and then tied with Indonesia. Such a poor performance triggered criticism from the Australian media and ‌fans.‍ Arnold took the initiative to resign⁣ and gave up the compensation.

Ivankovic,‌ who was previously caught in the storm of public opinion, chose to continue to‍ “stick⁤ to it”. The Chinese national football team suffered two ⁢consecutive defeats in ⁤the first two rounds of the top ‌18 ⁤matches, and this result was not unexpected. But the content of these ⁢two ⁢games is really unacceptable. Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ivankovic met with the Chinese ⁢Football Association. According to media reports, Ivankovic has realized his shortcomings in tactical adjustment and team communication, and has shown his determination⁤ to actively correct mistakes and ⁤strengthen teamwork, and ‌expressed his desire to continue coaching.

The Chinese National Football Team Needs a “Choi Young-hee”!

On September 21, ⁤Beijing time, the⁤ NBA team Brooklyn Nets officially ⁢announced that they had signed⁢ Chinese player Choi Young-hee, and the two sides reached ⁢a two-way contract. This young man, born‍ in 2003, has opened the​ door to the NBA‌ world ⁣with‌ his hard work and practice in the past five months.

Choi ⁤Young-hee’s ⁢words are also “perfectly ⁢applicable” to⁤ current Chinese‍ football. ​It is undeniable that the current game rhythm and intensity of the Chinese Super League make it difficult for local players to continue ‍to grow and​ improve. If ‌young players want to truly improve their personal abilities,‌ they ​need‍ to bravely go out.

⁤ In fact, as early as the autumn ⁤three years ago, the emotion of “Wu Lei” had triggered a heated discussion on ​the topic of “studying ‌abroad”. Wu Lei, who had finished the ‍national team’s World Cup qualifying match mission, set⁤ off from Doha, Qatar to Spain. He met Japanese ⁣internationals returning to Europe in batches at the airport. On social media, Wu Lei wrote: “Next to me, almost the⁤ entire Japanese national team is preparing to return to their ⁤respective clubs in Europe.⁢ It’s really touching! The gap between us and the‌ Asian powerhouses is indeed huge.‍ Face the gap! Never waste every day!”

⁢ Later, in an interview with the media, Wu Lei talked about ⁤the topic of “studying abroad” ‍again: “After going abroad, I deeply understood ⁢why we couldn’t beat the Japanese and Korean teams in the past few years, and why we were all Asian ‌teams, but it was difficult for‍ us to beat them. After I went out and ​experienced it myself, the answer was clear at a glance. ⁢After training in high-level, fast-paced competitions ⁣in Europe, and then⁣ coming back to play in Asian competitions, the mentality will be completely different. Japan is now fully capable of forming two lineups to play in Asian games, and South Korea may have fewer, but if a team can have six or seven players playing in Europe, even in the second-tier league,​ the overall self-confidence and temperament of the team will be different from ⁢other teams. So⁣ as I said ‌before, I hope⁤ more people will go abroad. Of course, ⁣the most important thing‌ is to gain a foothold with your own abilities.”

It is sad that three years have passed, what changes have taken place in the “overseas team” of Chinese football?

Compared with changing coaches, what Chinese football managers really need to do is to​ return to common sense and do the most basic things well, such as building a complete youth ⁣training ⁣system, improving​ the quality of ⁤league games, and⁢ encouraging more young people to go out bravely like Choi Young-hee.

Only when the overall ecological environment of Chinese football is effectively improved can ​we expect ⁢Chinese football to bid farewell to its darkest moment and usher in the rays of hope.