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Agence France-Presse

China are searching for a third coach this year after the country’s football association accepted Marcello Lippi’s resignation following the damaging loss to Syria in World Cup qualifying.
A clearly infuriated Lippi, the 71-year-old Italian World Cup winner, made a brief but angry appearance in front of the media after the 2-1 defeat on Thursday in Dubai.
“My pay is very high and I take all the blame. I am quitting as China coach,” the Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.
“We could beat weaker opponents like Maldives and Guam, but when we encountered stronger teams like the Philippines and Syria, we could not play our own football.”

After the 1:2 defeat to Syria in World Cup qualifying, Marcello Lippi, the most expensive national team coach in the world, announced his resignation. In last few words as China head coach, he slapped the table angrily to express disappointments towards Chinese football. pic.twitter.com/95GASc7crm
— Titan Sports Plus (@titan_plus) November 14, 2019

Lippi then abruptly left the press conference.
Hours later, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) said in a statement that it had accepted Lippi’s decision.
We are really sorry that the unsatisfactory results disappoint all Chinese fans
Chinese Football Association statement
“We are really sorry that the unsatisfactory results disappoint all Chinese fans,” the CFA said.
“The CFA will seriously reflect, rebuild the team, and try our best in the following World Cup qualifiers.”

Syria’s victory left them comfortably atop group A in qualifying for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
China are five points behind in second, only above the Philippines on goal difference, putting their World Cup hopes in peril.
It has been a turbulent year for Chinese football and Lippi’s resignation is a dent to the government’s hopes of making the country a superpower in the sport.
The former Juventus and Italy boss reportedly earned 180 million yuan (US$25 million) per year in charge of China, making him one of the best-paid coaches in the world.

He quit the post in January after taking China to the Asian Cup quarter-finals, where they lost 3-0 to Iran, and his compatriot Fabio Cannavaro took over.
But Cannavaro lasted only two matches before saying that balancing the job with managing Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande was too much.
That saw Lippi return in May, but his second spell was to last only six matches.
China languish in 69th in the Fifa world rankings and have reached the World Cup only once, in 2002, when they left without a point or scoring a goal.


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Chinese Football Association (CFA)

China at crossroads again as Marcello Lippi quits suddenly following shock World Cup loss to Syria

An exasperated Marcello Lippi reacts during the group A match between China and Syria. Photo: Xinhua

(191114) -- DUBAI, Nov. 14, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Marcello Lippi (R), head coach of China, leaves the press conference after the group A match between China and Syria of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Nov. 14, 2019. Marcello Lippi annouced his resignation during the press conference. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)

(191114) -- DUBAI, Nov. 14, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Marcello Lippi, head coach of China, reacts during the group A match between China and Syria of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Nov. 14, 2019. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)

Chinese Super League naturalised footballer limit would not help Marcello Lippi’s task of Qatar 2022 World Cup qualification

China international Elkeson in action for Guangzhou Evergrande against Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds during their AFC Champions League semi-final second leg in Guangzhou. Photo: EPA

Naturalised Elkeson ‘named’ in China’s World Cup squad but inclusion by Marcello Lippi kicks off debate online

Shanghai SIPG’s Brazilian forward Elkeson (No9) celebrates his team scoring in the 2017 AFC Asian Champions League. Photo: AFP

Sport

Football


Italian World Cup winner leaves his post at the CFA for the second time
Lippi was one of the highest paid managers in the world



The Italian, who was one of the highest paid managers in the world, leaves his post at the CFA for the second time.


Fifa World Cup 2022

China at crossroads again as Marcello Lippi quits suddenly following shock World Cup loss to Syria

Italian World Cup winner leaves his post at the CFA for the second time Lippi was one of the highest paid managers in the world

Italian World Cup winner leaves his post at the CFA for the second time

Lippi was one of the highest paid managers in the world