The Chinese national football team has been exposed to a major scandal, with one player reportedly taking money without doing any work. Despite repeated attempts by coach Ivan to persuade him, the player did not respond. Fans are expressing their frustration, saying that if he doesn't play, he should leave.
During the Qatar World Cup, the Chinese team had a good chance of participating, with many naturalized players still in their prime. However, it was unexpected that the head coach had ulterior motives, which ultimately led to the downfall of the team. As a result, the team failed to qualify from the top 12 and did not make it to Qatar. The person responsible for the team's failure has since faced consequences for their actions.
Now, the Chinese team is aiming for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Among the naturalized players, Luo Guofu stayed in Brazil, while Ai Kesen's performance has significantly declined. In the two victories the team achieved, they played well even without Alan and Fernandinho. Currently, the only remaining naturalized player is Jiang Guangtai. Hou Yongyong has joined the training camp this time, but whether he can make the final 23-man squad will depend on Ivan's assessment.
Some may notice that the article does not mention Li Ke, who recently joined Shanghai Greenland Shenhua as a free agent. With a new head coach and many new players, the 31-year-old Li Ke is not too old to still contribute if given the opportunity. However, it seems that he is not part of Ivan's national team.
Li Ke last played for the national team in a World Cup qualifier against South Korea in 2023. In January 2024, he was left out of the Asian Cup squad due to being late for training. It wasn't that Ivan didn't rate Li Ke; it was Li Ke who refused to participate. Beijing Youth Daily revealed that Ivan had repeatedly tried to convince Li Ke to join the training camp, but he consistently refused, leading Ivan to eventually give up on calling him up.
Why would Li Ke refuse to continue playing for the national team? In a public interview, Li Ke stated: "After returning from winter training, I fully committed to preparing with the national team. Throughout the Asian Cup period, some personal decisions made by the Chinese Football Association and the national team head coach (Yang Kewei) 'froze' me out, making the experience unpleasant... The head coach made the decision to freeze me out, and the association supported this decision, so all I could do was follow it."
However, now that the football association and the head coach have changed, Li Ke is still using past events as an excuse. Is this appropriate? Holding a grudge like this won't lead to good performance. Li Ke has played for both Beijing Guoan and the national team, and everyone can see his performance. Just like how the head coach froze him out, he also hid his own abilities. Playing as a defensive midfielder, he seemed aimless, and his defense largely relied on fouls. Some fans think he's not even as good as Wang Shangyuan. His original value of 3 million has now dropped to only 300,000.
Li Ke's words make it seem like he has great abilities, but he doesn't seem to realize his true worth. He is taking the money for being naturalized but isn't fulfilling his duties. Why would Shanghai Greenland Shenhua sign him? After Beijing Youth Daily reported this, fans expressed their frustration, saying he really thinks highly of himself and if he doesn't play, he should just go away!