Recently, the performance of the Chinese football team in the Asian Cup has attracted widespread attention. Tajikistan reached the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup for the first time in their history, while China's performance in the group stage was worrying. Serbian coach Jankovic led his team to the Asian Cup, but only managed two draws in the group stage, did not score a goal, and did not win against Tajikistan, which made him ousted one after another.
Looking back at Jankovic's journey in charge of the Chinese team, he took charge on February 24 last year and has been in charge for less than a year. During this time, he led the team to 10 warm-up matches, as well as two 2026 World Preliminary Tournaments and three Asian Cup matches. However, judging by the results of the warm-up matches, Jankovic's performance was not ideal, winning only 3 games and losing 5 games. Especially in the warm-up game against Hong Kong before the Asian Cup, it made people question his coaching ability.
During the Asian Cup, Jankovic's management and employment strategy was also controversial. He fired naturalized player Li Ke, abandoned Exxon, and insisted on using 36-year-old Tan Long in the lineup. These decisions are considered a failure for Chinese football. Although the living environment of Chinese football is not ideal, Jankovic's decisions have raised concerns about whether Chinese football will decline further.
At the same time, some fans began to call for Jankovic's dismissal. They believe that Jankovic's performance in the Asian Cup is not enough to prove that he can lead Chinese football out of the predicament. They hope that Chinese football can find a more capable and passionate coach to lead the team to a better future.
However, we must recognize that the rise of Chinese football is a long-term process that requires multi-faceted efforts and investment. A change of coach may be a way to change the status quo, but it will not fundamentally solve the problems of Chinese football. Chinese football needs comprehensive reform and development, including youth training, infrastructure construction, player training and other aspects.
Also, we can't just put the blame on the coach. The level and attitude of the players are also important factors that affect the team's performance. If a player doesn't perform at his best in the game, or lacks fighting spirit and fighting spirit, it will be difficult for even the best coach to achieve good results.