Legendary Italian Soccer Coach Marcello Lippi left his post as head coach of the Chinese national team after a 2-1 defeat to Syria in the 2020 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
“If the players take to the field and they are afraid and have no will to fight, with no desire and no guts to win, and if they cannot do what they have been taught in their training, then it is their coach’s fault,” Lippi told a room full of reporters through a translator after the match on Friday. “Now I’m announcing my resignation and I will no longer be coach of the Chinese national team,” he said before leaving the room, cutting the press conference short.
The 71-year-old had quit Team Dragon in January following a defeat to Iran in the Asian Cup quarterfinals. He returned to the position in May.
With seven points from two wins and a draw, China is technically still in the running although its hopes to advance to the next round have dimmed.
“China still has a chance,” read a commentary on news site The Paper. “But the goddess of fortune will not bless a team that has no will to fight and no desire to win.”
Apart from hiring globally renowned coaches with successful credentials, China seeks to boost its performance in international games by granting citizenship to many foreign-born soccer players so that they can play for the national team. So far, the results have been less than satisfactory.
“Where is the hope for Chinese soccer? Celebrity coaches and naturalized players are not bringing us the wins we hoped for,” said the commentary. “The Chinese team will have to fight to earn its honor.”
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