New boss, new blood, same goals

With its 2026 FIFA World Cup hopes officially dashed, China's men's national team is turning the page — and looking ahead. A new generation of players is setting its sights on a longer-term goal: making it to the 2030 tournament.

The journey begins in earnest next week at the East Asian Cup in South Korea, where a youthful Chinese squad will make its first appearance under new interim leadership — a symbolic fresh start for a team eager to move past its most recent disappointment.

The national team began training Wednesday at the Dalian Football Youth Training Base in Liaoning province. With the tournament kicking off on July 7, the camp marks more than just physical preparation — it's the first concrete step in a multi-year rebuilding effort.

At the helm of this new chapter is Dejan Djurdjevic, who was appointed interim head coach on June 27, just days before training began.

Despite the tight timeline, Djurdjevic — a familiar figure within the Chinese soccer system — exudes quiet confidence.

"We do not need to fear the opponents," he said, underscoring a shift in mentality that may define this new cycle.

Djurdjevic brings with him not just experience, but continuity.

He previously coached China's U19 team and the U20 Asian Games squad, the pathway along which many of the current players traveled to reach the senior setup.

"Many players here are ones I've coached before," Djurdjevic said. "Having led age-grade national teams and consistently watched the Chinese Super League, the players are well-known to me."

That familiarity is already shaping his early approach. With just three days of training in Dalian before the team departs for South Korea on July 5, Djurdjevic must quickly mold the newly assembled squad into a cohesive unit.