Head coach Bento is not going to ChinaSon Heung-min, Colombia's head coach, one of the candidates for the rush wave

Jul 18, 2025

Sportschosun DB

The person negotiated by the Chinese Football Association does not appear to be head coach Paulo Bento.

"Juan Carlos Osorio is one of the candidates for the next coach of the Chinese national soccer team," said reporter Pippe Sierra, an expert on the Colombian transfer market, on his personal SNS on the 17th (Korea time). Originally from Colombia, he has long attracted the attention of the Chinese Football Association. China plans to focus this project on finding and fostering young prospects."

Chinese media are also simultaneously reporting that Osorio has been nominated for the Chinese head coach. Chinese media Sina Sports said 'Oscorio has been a leader in famous clubs such as Atletico Nacional, Sao Paulo and Manchester City as well as national teams that speak South American technological soccer styles such as Mexico and Paraguay. This time, he voluntarily applied for the position of coach of the Chinese national team and is being mentioned as a strong candidate for the next coach.

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Then, introducing coach Osorio 'From October 2015 to July 2018, Osorio led the Mexican national team and set a record of 22 consecutive A matches without a loss. It also advanced Mexico to the round of 16 at the World Cup. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he made impressive performances, beating Germany 1-0 and South Korea 2-1, but lost to Brazil 0-2 in the tournament and failed to advance to the quarterfinals. Osorio is considered to be a good leader in discovering new players, which is also a part that the Chinese national team desperately needs.

In the 2018 World Cup, Osorio's Mexico won 2-1 against South Korea. Son Heung-min scored a late comeback goal against Mexico, but he shed a lot of tears after the game. It was the match against Korea, where coach Osorio's tactical side was well shown.

In another Chinese outlet, SinaCom, the source said that Osorio's team had also received a coaching offer from the Iranian Football Association, but his contract requirements are considered to be better in line with the current budget of the Chinese Football Association. In particular, his ability to foster young players in his career seems to be in line with the current situation of the Chinese national team, which needs to be replaced by a generation,' he said, adding that the Chinese Football Association is acceptable even under financial conditions.

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As Osorio's trip to China accelerated, news of the appointment of former South Korean national team coach Paulo Bento was certainly quieted. Last month, China's Sohu came into contention for the position of coach of the national team, with Fabio Cannavaro officially submitting his application to the Chinese Football Association. The targets for this appointment have been narrowed down to three foreign coaches, and in addition to Cannavarro, Portuguese master Bento and Spanish Felix Sanchez have been nominated, according to the report.

However, only reports from China came out, and no strong foreign media or reporters mentioned Bento's trip to China at all. In China, there was also a brief talk about Bento, and it has been quiet since then. Manager Osorio said, "The weight of the information is different because the story came from an expert in the overseas transfer market at once.

What is certain is that the Chinese Football Association is looking for a coach in earnest after the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) in 2025.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.