Ante Milicic Photo: Jiang Li/GT

Ante Milicic, the new head coach of the Chinese women's national soccer team, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity given by the Chinese Football Association (CFA) and acknowledged the heavy responsibility he bears during a press conference held on Thursday afternoon at the Xianghe National Football Training Base in North China's Hebei Province.

"I know that the position of the head coach of the Chinese women's national team carries the expectations of tens of thousands of Chinese fans. My team and I will continue to work hard in training to return the women's team to its rightful place," Milicic said.

His task is to prepare the team for the 2026 Women's Asian Cup and the 2027 Women's World Cup.

His task is to prepare the Steel Roses for the 2026 Women's Asian Cup and the 2027 Women's World Cup.

Born in Australia in 1974, Milicic played in the top leagues of Australia, the Netherlands, and Croatia during his playing career. He also represented the Australian men's national soccer team. As a coach, he has managed the Australia U-23 and U-19 men's national teams, as well as the Australian women's national team.

Milicic is not entirely unfamiliar with the Chinese national team. In 2020, under the leadership of Jia Xiuquan, the Chinese women's team drew 1-1 with Milicic's Australian team in the Tokyo Olympic qualifiers. Reflecting on his previous encounters with the Chinese team, Milicic noted that the team left a strong impression with their active defense, strong cohesion and resilient spirit.

Speaking of his training direction, Milicic said, "I hope to increase the team's ball possession and showcase more technical prowess in the attacking phase during my tenure."

Although significant changes might be hard to achieve in a short period of time, Milicic plans to make the most of each training session and video analysis classes to gradually improve the overall level of the team.

Photo: Jiang Li/GT

Wu Haiyan, who became the youngest captain in the woman team's history at the age of 21, showed up after the meeting. She and her team experienced the downturn of the national soccer team. With Milicic's arrival, she expressed the hope that the team can become more composed, and that the public will give them more time to get back on track.

"I find the new coach very friendly. He gives us a sense of approachability. Because of his good nature, everyone gets along very well and is quite happy," said Wu.

Another player, Li Mengwen, also had a very positive initial impression of the new head coach. She stated that adapting to a new coach is not difficult for her. Li said that consistently maintaining good habits in daily life and the right training attitude is essential, regardless of which coach is in charge.

Echoing with Wu, Li said she hopes that fans will give both the team and the new head coach the time they need.

"The head coach brought us a lot of new information right after his arrival. So far, I feel very comfortable with his style of play. I've worked with many coaches abroad before, and I find it quite easy to adapt to his current requirements," Li said.

Milicic's vision for the future involves a careful balance of enhancing the team's immediate performance while also building a sustainable foundation for long-term success. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration between the national team and clubs, Milicic aims to ensure that the team not only performs well in upcoming competitions but also establishes itself as a formidable force on the global stage.