According to Xiao Nan, a reporter from the Beijing Youth Daily, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) considered using the current U21 national team coach, Antonio, to replace Ivankovic as the interim head coach of the national team, but ultimately abandoned this idea.
The report states that after suffering two consecutive losses in the 18-team tournament, the CFA once entertained the idea of changing coaches, with Antonio, who is currently the head coach of the U21 national youth team, being one of the candidates for the interim position. However, after careful consideration, the CFA eventually decided against this plan, and Antonio also expressed his commitment to focusing on leading the U21 national team.
Moving forward, Antonio will dedicate himself to leading the Chinese U21 national youth team in preparation for the 2025 U23 Asian Cup qualifiers and the 2026 Asian Games.
Beiqing: The National Team Once Considered U21 Coach Antonio as Ivan’s Replacement but Opted Against Changing Coaches After Careful Deliberation. Author：Sports UEFA.Please indicate the source when reproduced：https://www.sportsuefa.com/football-world/beiqing-the-national-team-once-considered-u21-coach-antonio-as-ivans-replacement-but-opted-against-changing-coaches-after-careful-deliberation.html
