Former Chinese national soccer team coach Gao Hongbo has been appointed the new head coach of Jiangsu Sainty in a three-year contract, the Chinese Super League (CSL) side confirmed Friday.

Gao will take over the leading role at the club from Serbian coach Dragomir Okuka, who is commonly known as Dragan in China. The team only managed to assure a spot in the Chinese top flight in the last round of this season, finishing at a mere 13th place in the 16-team CSL.

Gao started his coaching career in 1999. In 2007 he led Changchun Yatai to take the CSL title. Sainty will be the sixth side he has coached for the top-flight clubs of Chinese soccer.

In 2009 Gao was chosen as the head coach of the Chinese national soccer team, becoming the youngest man to take the helm in 30 years. But he was replaced by Spaniard Jose Antonio Camacho in August 2011, who was then sacked earlier this year.

Global Times