Zhu Guanghu named as Chinese soccer coach
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-03-10 11:54

Former Chinese junior soccer boss Zhu Guanghu has been officially appointed as the new head coach of Chinese national team, Chinese sports newspaper China Sports Daily reported on Thursday.

Zhu Guanghu, seen here in a recent photo, has been appointed as the new head coach of Chinese national soccer team. [newsphoto]

The State General Administration of Sport approved on Wednesday the appointment of Zhu, who became the stand-in head coach after Dutchman Arie Haan was sacked last year, according to the newspaper.

Haan, who took over the Chinese team in December 2002 and led them to the finals of the Asian Cup last July, departed after the team's early exit from the 2006 World Cup Asian qualifiers.

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) then declared that China would not appoint a foreign head coach in the next four years leading up to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

The decision was viewed as an evidence of the sports authorities' growing disappointment with the capabilities of foreign coaches.

Zhu, 55, who led Shenzhen Jianlibao to the title of the inaugural Chinese Super League last season, emerged immediately to be a hot favorite for the vacant post.

His first international match will come in March 26 when China take on Spain in an international friendly, with a second friendly against Ireland three days later. Zhu is due to announce the squad in the coming days.

Over the past decade, China has hired four foreign coaches, including German Klaus Schlappner, Briton Bobby Houghton and Serb Bora Milutinovic in addition to Haan.

Milutinovic was the only one who carved out any success, taking China to the 2002 World Cup finals, which was a historic

breakthrough for Chinese soccer. China lost all the group matches in the tournament co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.

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