The Chinese men's football team has regained its vitality in the new season, and its choice of coach has been settled - Ivan Kovic, who led Croatia to the quarterfinals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, has become the new helm, and he will lead the Chinese men's football team to start a new journey. So, can this gold medal coach from Croatia lead the Chinese men's football team to success? Let's take a look at the coach's background and his thoughts on the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup.
Ivan Kovic, the highly respected coach, has held coaching positions at top European clubs such as Croatia, Lyon and Lokomotiv Moscow. He has a deep understanding and experience of the game, and is known for his ingenious tactical set-up and excellent team management skills. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, it was he who led Croatia to defeat the mighty England team and successfully advance to the quarterfinals. Subsequently, he switched to the Iranian national team and led the team to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Prior to that, he also coached with the Oman national team.
Taking on the role of head coach of the Chinese men's football team is undoubtedly an important challenge in his career. In an interview, he admitted that he would go all out and do his best for the development of Chinese football. He said that he knows Chinese football very well and knows the potential and strength of Chinese players. At the same time, he also singled out the key words of speed and strength, believing that only by improving these qualities can the team dominate the game.
Judging from the current news, the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup are about to kick off, and the Chinese men's football team has begun to prepare intensively in recent days. The new coaching team was divided into three groups in the first round of the Chinese Super League and conducted an in-depth and detailed examination of domestic players. It is expected that by the time Ivankovic returns to Croatia to apply for a work visa, his coaching team and the Chinese coaching team of the Chinese national football team have already begun hard training and preparation. In addition, Ivankovic will travel to Jinan, Shandong Province on March 6 to inspect the athletes of the Shandong Taishan team. The familiar environment and the structure of the players that house many international players are expected to attract the attention of many players to Ivankovic. It is expected that around March 9, the list of members of the Chinese national football team will be announced one after another.
According to the arrangement, the Chinese national football team will gather in Shenzhen on March 11. The next time the Chinese men's football team will face the Singapore men's football team in the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup. An away win against Singapore could possibly hit a two-game winning streak! As we all know, the Chinese men's football team is ranked higher in the world than the Singapore men's football team, nearly 60 places higher (the Singapore men's football team is ranked 157th in the world), and it should not be a problem to withdraw the opponent. Overall, the Chinese men's football team has the advantage of winning and is expected to continue its unbeaten record in the historical encounters.
The second round of matches will start at 7pm on March 26, when the Chinese men's football team will return to their home stadium to face the challenge of the Singapore men's football team. If you pull off an upset, it's an extra surprise! However, don't be complacent, you must know that in the Asian Cup that ended not long ago, the Chinese men's football team did not have the slightest advantage in the face of the Tajikistan men's football team and the Lebanese men's football team, which were not ranked as good as the Chinese men's football team, and even did not win a single goal. Therefore, the Chinese men's football team must look at every game carefully, have a correct professional attitude, and focus all their energy on the game.
Great strength does not equate to absolute victory. In particular, the head coach of the Singapore men's football team has also changed. Moreover, over the years, the players of the Chinese men's football team have rarely had the opportunity to play against the players of the Singapore men's football team. It is reported that many players in the Singapore men's football team have become naturalized players, which undoubtedly increases the variables of the game. Therefore, the players of the Chinese men's football team must not underestimate the enemy. Although Ivankovic is a veteran coach who has been active in Asian football for a long time, and has coached teams such as Iran and Oman, it is believed that he will be able to avoid similar situations. I sincerely wish that the Chinese men's football team can achieve good results in the next two World Cup Asian qualifiers! Cheer for Chinese football!