The Chinese Football Association has made significant progress, with six naturalized players available for selection. Ivan focuses solely on ability and disregards fame, continuing to exclude European stars. In the 18-team qualifiers, the team scored in four consecutive matches and achieved two consecutive victories, a feat that no national team coach other than Marcello Lippi had accomplished before. Despite having what could be considered the worst hand of cards in history, Ivan has managed to lead the team to this level, exceeding the expectations of fans. Fan attitudes towards Ivan have undergone a polar reversal, from initial criticism to current recognition. The impact of the 7-0 loss in the first match was significant. When he first took office, his performance was not ideal, with rigid substitutions and outdated formations that did not meet expectations, especially in matches against Thailand and Saudi Arabia. However, the changes Ivan brought about are evident. First, there is a youthful lineup with bold use of new players, and second, there is an increased emphasis on defensive pressure. Central defenders are not just retreating to defend but are increasingly pressing outside the penalty area. So far, Ivan has delivered on his pre-season promise to secure points against Bahrain and Indonesia, with the game content aligning with the current state of the national team and exceeding expectations in training new players. Ivan probably never intended to score points against Saudi Arabia, planning only to minimize losses or at most hold out for a draw. However, unexpectedly, we scored first, and the opponent received a red card, which…

Time flies, and before we know it, 2024 is about to say goodbye to us. At this end of the year and the beginning of the new year, for the European football world, some leagues and teams have entered the winter break, while others still have to complete various competitions. Now that the season is halfway through, some big-name teams' performances have not met expectations, putting pressure on their coaches. For example, Pep Guardiola of Manchester City, Ange Postecoglou of Tottenham Hotspur, Omer Toprak of Borussia Dortmund, Andrea Pirlo of Juventus, and even Jose Mourinho of Fenerbahce have faced criticism and the potential of being sacked. However, it is not uncommon for big-name teams to change coaches this season. After Manchester United, Roma, and Valencia, another strong team has changed its head coach. This team is the Serie A giant AC Milan. At 3:45 am Beijing time on December 30th, the 18th round of Serie A continued, with a focus match where "Rossoneri" AC Milan drew 1-1 at home against the visiting "Giallorossi" Roma. In the last four rounds of Serie A, they only managed one victory. Currently, after 17 games, they have 7 wins, 4 draws, and 6 losses, accumulating 27 points and ranking eighth in the league table. After the game, AC Milan's head coach Paulo Fonseca personally admitted that he had been fired by the club, ending his short tenure at AC Milan that lasted less than six months. This summer, the old coach Stefano Pioli, who coached AC Milan for four years, announced his departure. Subsequently,…

Due to Manchester City's recent poor performance, the club's management has begun to plan a large-scale cleaning operation. Many former veterans of the team, due to their poor performance this season, may be included in Guardiola's cleaning plan. Recently, according to the latest report from the "Daily Mail", Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, known as B-Silva, may also be sold by the club next season. Due to the extremely poor performance this season, the Manchester City management has decided to take action and started to prepare for the future layout of the team, aiming to optimize the team structure to ensure that the team can sweep away the depression and return to its former peak state. The 30-year-old B-Silva is also within the scope of Manchester City's adjustment. However, the reason for B-Silva being cleaned up by Manchester City is not entirely because of his personal state decline, but for other reasons. Everyone knows that B-Silva, as a key member of the Manchester City team and Guardiola's favorite player, his ability and contribution are beyond doubt. However, in football, age and contract status are often important factors in determining a player's stay or departure. B-Silva is about to enter the second half of his career, and his contract is about to enter the last year, which undoubtedly increases the uncertainty for the club in renewal negotiations. To avoid the potential transfer turmoil affecting the stability of the team in the future, Manchester City chose to push B-Silva into the transfer market at this moment, which is both a respect for…

In the 2024 season of the Chinese Super League (CSL), Shandong Luneng failed to achieve their desired results, finishing fifth in the league standings. This outcome meant they lost the chance to directly qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite Division. Additionally, they were defeated by Shanghai Port FC in the FA Cup final, leaving them with no significant achievements for the entire season. This was undoubtedly a heavy blow for Shandong Luneng and left their fans feeling disappointed. What further complicates matters for Shandong Luneng's management is that their contract with current head coach Choi Kang-hee does not include performance-based conditions. This means that even if the team performs poorly, they cannot directly dismiss Choi Kang-hee without paying a high termination fee of up to 40 million yuan. This situation adds uncertainty to Shandong Luneng's future. However, amidst these challenges, Shandong Luneng has also seen new hope. According to Shandong media reports, former player Su Maozhen has passed the interview with Shandong Luneng's vice president, and both parties are discussing details. There is a possibility that Su Maozhen will return to Shandong Luneng soon. This news brings comfort to the fans. As a legendary figure of Shandong Luneng, Su Maozhen's return is expected to inject new vitality and confidence into the team. It also suggests that the future transfer power of Shandong Luneng might fall into Su Maozhen's hands, bringing new opportunities for the team's development. Before Su Maozhen takes office, there is also new momentum in Shandong Luneng's transfer activities. According to Turkish media STAR, the CSL team…