Croatian Branko Ivankovic has been named head of the Chinese football team, the Chinese Football Association (CFA), a state body which acts as a federation, announced on Saturday. Branko Ivankovic, 69, has been the coach of the Oman national team since 2020.
He replaces the Serbian Aleksandar Jankovic, appointed to this position just a year ago and who did not perform miracles during the Asian Nations Cup. The Chinese selection was eliminated ingloriously after two draws and a defeat against Qatar, which retained its title at the start of the month. The Chinese government has great ambitions for the national team, but it remains stuck in 88th place in the Fifa rankings, at the same level as 10 years ago.
Ivankovic’s appointment comes at a time when the image of Chinese football is being undermined by embezzlement. In a resounding documentary broadcast in January, the former national team coach, Li Tie, admitted to having bought several matches to allow the Chinese second division teams he managed to reach the elite. The former president of the football federation, Chen Xuyuan, for his part, pleaded guilty to corruption in January at the opening of his trial. He is accused of having received more than 81 million yuan (10.4 million euros) in bribes. Chen Xuyuan notably accepted a payment of 2 million yuan to offer Li Tie his position at the head of the Chinese team, according to the prosecution. These football prosecutions are part of a major anti-corruption campaign initiated by President Xi Jinping for a decade.
