On January 3rd, Fabio Cannavaro officially became the head coach of Croatian powerhouse Dinamo Zagreb, bringing this news back into the public eye. This decision is undoubtedly a significant turning point in his career, transitioning from the Chinese Super League to the mainstream European football scene. For Cannavaro, this is no small matter. Everyone knows that Cannavaro's name is well-known in Chinese football. He has led Guangzhou FC to numerous honors, especially his coaching style and deep bond with the team, which has won widespread recognition from fans. However, now, Cannavaro's goals are clearly not limited to this; he has chosen a more challenging stage - Europe. Dinamo Zagreb is not only a powerhouse in Croatia but also a club with a glorious history. The club has won 22 Croatian First League titles, 16 domestic cup championships, and even lifted the UEFA Cup trophy, making it a representative of Croatian football. For Cannavaro, being able to coach such a team with a rich heritage and ambitious aspirations is undoubtedly a rare opportunity. Many people may ask: Can he really make a name for himself in Europe? Although Cannavaro's resume is commendable in the Chinese football world, his coaching experience in Europe is relatively limited, which makes many question whether he can adapt to top-level European football. Honestly, the short-term contract offered by Dinamo Zagreb to Cannavaro has a bit of a trial run flavor. This club obviously has some trust in Cannavaro, but they are not entirely sure if he can immediately deliver satisfactory results. Although Cannavaro achieved success with…

On January 2nd at noon, Beijing time, the 29-year-old Brazilian midfielder Serginho posted a photo of himself on social media, announcing that he had set off to return to China. Notably, Serginho also excitedly displayed the bright red five-star flag, seemingly hinting that he is about to become naturalized and join the Chinese men's national football team. It is reported that Serginho departed from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and will transit through Doha, expected to arrive in Beijing at around 2:00 PM on the 3rd. Afterwards, he will head to Haikou to participate in the second phase of winter training with Beijing Guoan. Originally, Serginho planned to depart on the 4th, but as a candidate for naturalization, he needs to complete some necessary work procedures before joining the Guoan winter training, so he ultimately decided to leave two days earlier. It is worth noting that Serginho officially joined the Chinese league by signing with Changchun Yatai on January 24, 2020. If everything goes smoothly, theoretically, this Brazilian midfielder could complete his naturalization procedures as early as the 25th of this month. According to previous revelations from domestic media, the naturalization procedures for Serginho and another naturalization candidate, Oscar, are progressing very smoothly, with various relevant departments actively cooperating to help both players catch up with the 18th round of matches, rounds 7 and 8, starting in March. Born on March 15, 1995, Serginho plays as an attacking midfielder. Last season, as captain, he made 25 appearances for Yatai, contributing an impressive record of 8 goals and 8 assists. Serginho's technical characteristics…

Translation: The domestic league transfer window is about to open, but many teams have already started operating new signings before that. Due to the departure of Oscar and Bargas, as well as the relegation of Nantong Zhiyun and Meizhou Hakka, the gap between teams in the new season of the Chinese Super League (CSL) will not be too big, so both relegation battles and championship pursuits will become quite fierce. Let's take a look at the recent transfer dynamics together. Dalian's Five Foreign Players in Place As a promoted team, Dalian Yingbo's primary task is to stay in the CSL, and as a city with a very hot football market, they are highly anticipated by fans. The team's recruitment has been carried out very early, and the five foreign player combinations have basically been determined. The mainstream configuration in the CSL is three forwards, one defensive midfielder, and one central defender. Dalian Yingbo's five foreign players are likely to be Kalanga, who is staying with the team, Malaye from Shanghai Shenhua, Labiade from Yunnan Yulong, Alimi, a Macedonian defensive midfielder, and Mamadou from Beijing Guoan. Honestly, this foreign player lineup is already quite good, especially Malaye and Mamadou, who are considered top-tier foreign player configurations for mid-to-upper table teams, ensuring at least the lower limit for Dalian Yingbo. Kalanga is also a foreign player who has been tested in the CSL for many years. In addition to foreign players, Dalian Yingbo has also strengthened their domestic player lineup, including Cao Haiqing, Zhao Jianan, Cui Qi, Wang Chengkai, and Liu Yi.…

With the sentencing of Chen Xuoyuan, Li Tie, Du Zhaocai, and others, it also marks the end of the anti-corruption campaign in the football world. However, the anti-gambling efforts in the football world have yet to yield clear results, especially regarding the former Taishan team coach Hao Wei, who was caught up in the anti-gambling crackdown. As a symbolic figure in the anti-gambling case, the reasons for his arrest and the progress of his case remain a big question mark. It is well-known that at the beginning of 2023, due to the arrests of Qin Sheng, Jin Jingdao, and others, it triggered an anti-gambling campaign in the football world. Subsequently, many people including Gu Chao, Hao Wei, Guo Tianyu, Sun Zhunhao, and others were successively apprehended. Although Sun Zhunhao was released and joined Suwon FC, after the FA announced the list of banned players, Suwon FC directly terminated his contract. Guo Tianyu, despite going abroad again to join Thai League, is also facing a ban, which is only a matter of time. So, what is the current progress of the Hao Wei case? According to the well-known blogger "CSL Observer," the first trial verdict of the Hao Wei case has concluded, with Hao Wei's sentence being roughly equivalent to that of Jin Jingdao and Gu Chao. It is estimated that his name will appear on the second batch of the banned list. Based on the blogger's previous revelation, Jin Jingdao was sentenced to three years for gambling. Therefore, under the circumstances where Hao Wei's sentence is close to Jin Jingdao's,…

In the ever-changing landscape of the Chinese Super League, Shanghai Shenhua's announcement was like a pebble dropped into a lake, stirring ripples in the hearts of fans. Cao Yunding, Malele, Jin Yangyang, and Xu Yougang will not be renewing their contracts, yet many fans feel that the team's lineup is already largely in place. In just over a week, Slutsky will lead the team to Hainan for training, and there are many reasons behind this. Looking back at the 2024 season, Shenhua was like a machine fine-tuned to peak performance, with a well-balanced lineup. The veterans were like the team's stabilizing pillars, the "Xuanming Elders" that provided reassurance; the core strength, Zhu Chenjie and Jiang Shenglong, were like two sturdy pillars holding up the sky. There were also national team players like Wang Haijian, Gao Tianyi, and Xie Pengfei, who were like agile threads weaving through, making the team's operations smoother. When faced with tough challenges, it was left to the foreign players to resolve them: Luis, Manafa, Amadou, and Teixeira, all of whom held contracts. In the world of the Chinese Super League, breaking contracts is rare, especially since Jushi took over Shenhua, there has never been such a precedent, as if an unwritten rule firmly protects the team's personnel structure. According to international practice, the accuracy rate of foreign player selections leaked by accompanying journalists is as high as ninety percent, and once announced, it's a done deal. Currently, the rumored foreign player for Shenhua comes from Mineiro of the Brazilian second division, which may seem low-level, but…

Serginho Arrives in Haikou in January for National Football Team Training, 30-Man List Dominated by Newcomers Hey, fellow football fans, today we're going to talk about the national football team. Heard about it? The national team is training again, and this time, it's different! You say Hainan? Yes, that sunny, breezy tourist destination; the national team has actually chosen it as their training ground. Doesn't that sound refreshing? What else can you do in Hainan besides sunbathing? Well, you don't know this. The national team chose this place because of its subtropical climate, which is mild all year round, so the players don't have to suffer from the cold in winter, and they can adjust their state smoothly. Besides, the national team will face tough opponents like Saudi Arabia and Australia in March, so it's necessary to come here early to practice physical fitness and store energy! However, the highlight of this training is not just physical fitness. Our national team has always had a weak point in set pieces, which Coach Ivanković has seen and is anxious about. Therefore, one of the focuses of the training is set-piece training, which must be improved; otherwise, how can we deal with the key moments? What excites the fans even more is that newcomers dominate the training list this time. Although the experienced old faces of the national team are experienced, sometimes when they play, their fighting spirit and speed are not as good as the newcomers. This time, Ivanković has made up his mind to give newcomers more opportunities, and maybe…

Currently, the Chinese Super League is still in the off-season, and the entry issue of the Super League has attracted the special attention of fans. At present, Cangzhou Lions are still very dangerous. Not only are the players demanding wages, but also the head coach Li Xiaopeng has fled. Li Xiaopeng has already been confirmed to coach Qingdao Hainiu, which is undoubtedly good news for Qingdao Hainiu. In the new season, Li Xiaopeng will lead Qingdao Hainiu to continue to complete the relegation mission. Last season, Qingdao Hainiu's relegation road was very thrilling, and the team finally completed the relegation task with a slight advantage. Therefore, if you want to be able to successfully complete the relegation in the new season, you must strengthen during this off-season. The team first changed the head coach, and it has been proved that in the relegation task, local coaches are even more suitable than foreign coaches. After confirming the head coach, the lineup needs to be strengthened. Li Xiaopeng locked his attention on his old club Shandong Taishan. According to Shandong media, there are currently three players in Taishan team who are most likely to follow Li Xiaopeng to join Qingdao Hainiu. First of all, Song Long, who joined Qingdao Hainiu on loan this season, returned to Taishan team after the end of the lease period, but his contract expired at the end of the year, and there was no news about being renewed by Taishan team. Therefore, it is very likely that Song Long will follow Li Xiaopeng back to Qingdao Hainiu…

China's Football Association experienced a significant reshuffle in its upper echelons in 2023, with several high-ranking figures falling from grace, leaving the entire football world on edge due to an anti-corruption storm. The new chairman, Song Kai, must feel the immense pressure he faces. His upcoming tasks are more challenging than leveling up in a game, as the confidence in the football world has almost collapsed, and the management system is like scattered sand, lacking any discernible organizational strength. In contrast, Saudi Arabia has begun methodically preparing to bid for the 2034 World Cup, even starting the bidding process with FIFA, quickly completing most of the preparations. Looking at China, which has just replaced its leadership, everything must start from scratch, from resource integration to plan formulation; all these tasks must be tackled step by step. With such limited time, it was impossible to meet the submission deadline for the FIFA bidding materials, resulting in a complete failure. Regarding the bidding, who can't say the truth? Isn't this an old problem that has accumulated since China's failed World Cup bid in 2009? Over a decade has passed, and not only have the problems not been resolved, but they have accumulated even more. Management changes have led to a deeply rooted trust crisis. Without sufficient competitiveness, how could one think of applying for the World Cup, assuming they could secure a seat through the host country status? It's embarrassing even to think about it. Some netizens say: "I don't know whether to laugh or cry; Saudi Arabia is already prepared, while…

Chinese Football's Hope: Song Kai Personally Confirms Japanese Coach, Abandoning Local Coaches!‌ The chairman of the Football Association, Song Kai, recently revealed in an interview with Japanese media that the first Japanese head coach of the U16 national team, Kamikage Kenichi, was personally confirmed by him. He is full of expectations for learning from Japanese football in the future and believes that Kamikage Kenichi represents the hope for Chinese football. From many details, it can be seen that Song Kai is indeed the most hopeful chairman of the Football Association we have seen in recent years. Firstly, he is very bold. Previously, many national teams were controlled by some local veteran coaches, such as Cheng Yaodong, who liked long-term training camps and was always an important candidate for the head coach of various national youth teams. Even when selecting foreign coaches, the Football Association rarely dared to choose a Japanese head coach. Now, Song Kai directly confirms Kamikage Kenichi to coach the Chinese U16 national team, and not just one; the U15 head coach, Minami Shima, is also Japanese. This courage and boldness are indeed very commendable. Secondly, Song Kai is really modest and open, willing to learn from foreign countries to overcome them. In the interview, he said that he decided at that time that he must learn from advanced football countries, so he invited many Japanese coaches to coach in China. He said that Japanese coaches are meticulous and tenacious, which is what he values. These advantages are indeed very suitable for China's football youth training, which is…

Beijing Guoan Club has delivered a satisfying year-end summary to its fans, starting with the departure of last season's heavily criticized head coach Suarez. After careful consideration, they have chosen the Spanish coach Quique Setien, known for his attacking football style, to lead the coaching team. Setien's joining makes him the most prominent head coach in the Chinese Super League (CSL), with his experience coaching Barcelona and other famous clubs, giving Beijing fans endless expectations. In terms of players, the club has renewed contracts with three veterans Zhang Xizhe, Wang Gang, and Chi Zhongguo, showing the players the care of the club. Another meritorious captain Yu Dabao has transitioned to become a coach at the Guoan Youth Training Academy, which can be considered a proper arrangement for this meritorious captain. The outstanding player Cao Yongjing, who is in his prime, has received a top salary contract for four years, which is also the greatest recognition for this newly promoted national team member. Additionally, Bai Yang and Nabi Jiang have also successfully renewed their contracts. Confirmed departing players Mamadou, Zhang Chengdong, and Li Ke may still appear on the CSL stage next year, as changing the environment is their final choice. Newcomer Serginho has confirmed his naturalization and joining, and Wu Shaocong is also very close to joining Beijing Guoan. It is reported that negotiations are underway for a powerful defensive midfielder. With strong troops and horses, Beijing Zhonghe Guoan Club's goal of always striving for first place next season may be achieved!