Li Xiaopeng facing host of problems as China coach, with domestic upheaval just one hurdle to overcome in push for World Cup spot
- Former Shandong Luneng boss handed unenviable task of guiding national team for remainder of qualifying campaign
- With only top two in Group B qualifying, China’s best hopes lie in somehow chasing down third-placed Australia and capturing a place in the playoff rounds
Six games into another increasingly futile attempt by China to qualify for the World Cup, Li Xiaopeng will be confronted by a host of issues when he takes over the head coach’s role from Li Tie.
The former Shandong Luneng boss was handed the unenviable task of guiding the national team in their remaining four World Cup qualifiers on Friday after Li Tie quit following weeks of speculation.
He replaces a coach who had been groomed for the role since retiring as one of the country’s most prominent players of the past 25 years.
Having represented China during their first, and so far only, appearance at the World Cup in 2002, Li Tie was one of a small number of Chinese to have played professionally in Europe.
As a coach, the 44-year-old sought to bring the experience gained during his four seasons with Everton in the Premier League to bear on his tenure as China sought to overcome decades of underachievement to once again qualify for the finals.
He had been mentored by Marcello Lippi, the World Cup winner who led Guangzhou Evergrande to the Asian Champions League title before grappling with the expectations of the country’s notoriously demanding football fans.