Dongti: Ivan’s Position Temporarily Safe, but Dismissal Looms if Next Two Games Remain Chaotic

According to Liu Wenchao, a reporter from the Oriental Sports Daily, the position of China’s national team coach, Ivan, is temporarily secure, but the threat of dismissal has not been lifted.

“After consecutive losses to Japan and Saudi Arabia, there has been much speculation about whether the Chinese team’s head coach, Ivanković, will be dismissed. After some communication and even bargaining, it appears that his position has been temporarily preserved. Barring any unexpected developments, Ivan will still lead the team in the away match against Australia on October 10th and the home game against Indonesia on October 15th.”

“In terms of strength, it wasn’t particularly surprising for the national team to lose consecutively to Japan and Saudi Arabia. The problem lies in the fact that the scoreline against Japan was particularly unflattering. Additionally, Ivan’s in-game tactics and substitutions during these two matches were perplexing. Combined with the numerous disorganisations during the team’s preparation phase, the calls for Ivan’s dismissal grew louder after the loss to Saudi Arabia. While it’s true that Ivan hasn’t had much time, using this as an excuse to evade responsibility for his coaching performance is not acceptable. It’s understood that although Ivan is currently ‘safe,’ the threat of dismissal remains. If the next two games continue to be as chaotic as before, Ivan’s fate may be sealed.”