Branko Ivankovic succeeds Aleksandar Jankovic as manager of Chinese men's national football team

Branko Ivankovic, former manager of Oman, has been appointed at the helm of the Chinese men's national football team, succeeding Aleksandar Jankovic, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced on Saturday.

"In order to better prepare for the Asian section of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, the CFA, after discussions among experts, has decided to hire Branko Ivankovic as the manager of the Chinese men's national football team," the Chinese football governing body said in a statement.

Ivankovic, 69, managed Shandong Taishan in the Chinese Super League (CSL) between 2009 and 2011, helping the club win the CSL title in 2010. He also worked as the boss of the national teams of Iran and Oman. Back in 2002, Iran won the football men's gold medal at the Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, under his leadership.

Ivankovic served as the manager of Oman between 2020 and 2024. The team failed to make it out of the group stage at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in Qatar this year with two draws and one loss.

China had the same record as Oman did at the Asian Cup under Jankovic. After two goalless draws against Tajikistan and Lebanon, China lost to Qatar 1-0, failing to advance to the knockout stage.

As a result, Jankovic was sacked, the CFA said in another announcement earlier on Saturday.

"After the Asian Cup in Qatar, since the Chinese men's national football team didn't advance to the knockout stage, the contract of the manager and the coaching staff was automatically terminated," the CFA said. "Jankovic is no longer manager of the team. The CFA thanks him and his coaching staff for their efforts in managing the team and wishes him good luck in both his life and at work in the future."

Jankovic became the manager of China in February 2023. The team finished the 15 games under him with four wins, four draws and seven losses.