Shao Jiayi appointed new China coach
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FILE PHOTO: Energie Cottbus' Jiayi Shao reacts after scoring at the German soccer cup (DFB-Pokal) quarter-final match against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in Cottbus, January 26, 2011. Energie Cottbus won the match 1-0. REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz/File Photo
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BEIJING - Former international midfielder Shao Jiayi has been appointed as China's new head coach, the first Chinese national to hold the top job since his 2002 World Cup teammate Li Xiaopeng was dismissed more than three years ago.
Shao takes over from Serbian Dejan Durdevic, who has acted as caretaker coach since Croatian Branko Ivankovic was sacked in June after China's elimination from the qualifiers for next year's World Cup.
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) said they had considered several foreign candidates in their search for a new coach but decided on 45-year-old Shao.
"Taking into full consideration the experience and lessons of previous national team coach selections, the current situation and level of Chinese men's football, the long-term development of the national team, as well as the qualities and coaching abilities of the candidates and expert opinions, the CFA ... decided to appoint Shao Jiayi," the CFA said in a statement on Wednesday.
Shao played 40 times for China in the first decade of the century and had a lengthy spell in Germany with 1860 Munich and Energie Cottbus.
His coaching resume includes a stint as an assistant to Serbian Aleksandar Jankovic with the national team and he was most recently coach of Chinese Super League outfit Qingdao West Coast.
The 2002 World Cup campaign remains China's only trip to the showpiece of international soccer. REUTERS
