Branko Ivankovic Photo: VCG

Following the elimination of Chinese men's national football team from the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) has decided to end Branko Ivankovic's tenure as head coach of the team, according to a post on the official CFA Weibo account on Friday.

Dejan Djurdjevic, former head coach of the China U20 national team, has been appointed as interim head coach of the team for the upcoming East Asian Football Championship in July. At the same time, the CFA will begin the selection process for a new head coach, said the post.

China's World Cup hopes came to an end on June 5 following a 1-0 away defeat to Indonesia. Ivankovic said after the match that he "bore significant responsibility" for the team's failure.

During the post-match press conference after the last qualifying match against Bahrain, Ivankovic evaded questions regarding his future work plans but expressed his expectations for the coming East Asian football tournament. 

Ivankovic came under fire for sticking with a 4-4-2 diamond formation for the national team. China wrapped up the qualifying campaign with three wins and seven defeats, ranking fifth in Group C, which also included Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Bahrain. 

Global Times