The Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced, on Friday, the Serbian Aleksandar Jankovic as the new coach of its men’s national team, at a time when the highest spheres of the sport in the country are investigated for corruption.
The CFA reported that Jankovic will manage the team in this year’s Asian Cup in Qatar and in the Qualifiers for the world Cup of 2026.
The decision was taken “after an expert assessment, investigation and approval by the federation”, the CFA said.
Jankovic has previously managed several youth teams in China, the latest being the men’s under-23 team. The 50-year-old coach has also worked for clubs in Serbia and Belgium.
Chinese authorities are taking drastic measures against the domestic football industry and, since November last year, at least four top hats have been the subject of investigations for corruption.
Chief among them is CFA chairman Chen Xuyuan, who is accused of committing “serious breaches of discipline and the law”, according to a statement by the government sports agency this week.
Former national team coach Li Tie, who had a spell in the Premier League in the 2000s, was also investigated last year.
A huge football fan, Chinese President Xi Jinping has said he dreams of seeing his country host (and even win) a World Cup someday.
But that dream has become more distant in recent years as economic woes and Covid-19 have crippled the domestic league, leaving many clubs to sell their star foreign players. Some teams even went bankrupt.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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