In the circle of Chinese women's football, which coach has the biggest name? It's not the current head coach of the national team, Milicic, nor is it the former head coaches Shui Qingxia and Jia Xiuquan. It's not even the seven-time Asian Best Women's Football Coach from Shanghai, Gao Cangmazi, or the head coach of the league champions Wuhan Jiangda, Chang Weiwei. Rather, it's Chen Wanting, the head coach of mid-table Jiangsu women's football team.
Chen Wanting is the most beloved and supported women's football coach among Chinese fans, who affectionately call her "Niwan". Not only do they support her coaching the Chinese women's national team, but they also urge her to coach the men's national team. They believe that if China wants to defeat Japan in men's football, there's only one possibility: hiring Chen Wanting.
The Chinese women's team has suffered big losses against the Netherlands and England, both coached by Wiegman. This coincidence has made Chinese fans even more supportive of Chen Wanting, as she is seen as the only coach capable of going head-to-head with Wiegman. When talking about Wiegman, Chen Wanting confidently believes she is stronger.
However, fate has played a cruel joke on Chen Wanting, as she has repeatedly missed out on the opportunity to coach the national team. But she remains undaunted and has turned to the Chinese Women's Super League. She suddenly realized that contributing to Chinese women's football doesn't just mean coaching the national team; nurturing the best players for the national team is also a significant contribution.
She has switched to the professional league, coaching teams like Qiongzhong and Jiangsu after successfully leading Qiongzhong to promotion. She has devoted herself entirely to Jiangsu, with a clear philosophy: clubs should not aim for results but instead focus on providing players for the national team.
What's the use of winning more victories or championships domestically? The greatest honor is to become a national player and give your all for the national team. Under Chen Wanting's encouragement, Jiangsu's performance has declined year by year, falling from second place when she took over to fifth place after three seasons.
But the number of Jiangsu players selected for the national team is increasing. In the latest national team lineup, seven players come from Jiangsu. Wang Siqian from Shanghai and Sun Fangxin from Shandong were also her disciples when she coached the national youth team. Among the 23 national team players, nine are Chen Wanting's disciples, accounting for half of the squad.
The current head coach of the Chinese women's team, Milicic, is also very grateful to Chen Wanting. He said, "I am very strict in selecting players, and I thank Chen Wanting for giving me a wide range of choices. If I ever step down, I hope my successor will be Chen Wanting."
