The China Team gained the upper hand in the fourth round of the World Cup Qualifiers, but their dismal performance against Thailand was unacceptable.
Not wanting to make the fans too angry, Sun Hai flew directly to the China Team's hotel.
In the hotel conference room, Sun Hai held a meeting with the entire coaching staff.
“Mr. Jankovic, I need an explanation!”
“Mr. Sun, we won, didn't we? Regardless of the process, the result is good.”
“No, no, no! In previous matches, even when we faced strong teams like Iran and Saudi Arabia, we never had a performance like yesterday. I cannot understand it!”
“Alright, Mr. Sun, I think you know that our previous performances in the Asian Cup and World Cup Qualifiers were quite good.”
Sun Hai remained silent, quietly observing Jankovic. He knew that new problems had undoubtedly emerged within the National Football Team.
“But with all due respect, that was all because we had previously called up many young players. Their execution of my tactics and their enthusiasm on the field met the conditions for victory.”
Anger flashed across Sun Hai's face, “So what now? What went wrong with this lineup?”
Jankovic directly tore off the pretense, pointing at the two people sitting not far away, “Then you'll have to ask these two assistant coaches. The starting lineup they confirmed for me consists of key players from the Chinese Super League. As they say, you Chinese people value seniority the most.”
Sun Hai's gaze was like lightning, “As the head coach, can you not even decide a starting lineup?”
Jankovic looked somewhat helpless, “I apologize, this is a dereliction of my duty. These two assistant coaches led the charge, and the veterans in the team followed with pressure. In the current China Team, I no longer have any authority!”
Sun Hai completely ignored the two assistant coaches, who were breathing heavily, and calmly continued to look at Jankovic, “Mr. Head Coach, I apologize for the trouble this has caused your work. There is still one more match, and I will fully cooperate with you. Let us complete the final performance.”
Jankovic looked at Sun Hai with some appreciation, “Mr. Sun, thank you. Rest assured, I will lead the China Team to complete the qualification task. I have been very happy with my work in China these past years, and it is time to say goodbye.”
Sun Hai showed a professional smile. After seeing Jankovic off, the sound of things being thrown and smashed came from the hotel conference room.
Jankovic walked towards the training ground, his heart a mix of emotions.
Sun Hai's decisiveness impressed him. Thinking about the content of their conversation, Jankovic felt a sense of relief. Although it wasn't explicitly stated, his time with the China National Team was down to the last match.
This was the reality. Regardless of the reason, if a head coach cannot truly control the team, then results will only be empty talk.
Jankovic had already planned to retire at the peak, and this was a convenient way to do so.
On the China Team's training ground, a group of young players gathered around Gao Nuo, appearing out of place among the veterans.
Wu Lei stood by the team's elder brothers, torn between two sides.
After Wu Lei put on the National Football Team captain's armband, there was no questioning his seniority and ability within the team.
However, influenced by the long-standing environment of the National Football Team, Wu Lei did not step up to resolve certain issues.
More often, his desire for everyone to get along harmoniously and his reluctance to offend anyone caused the China Team to reveal its true colors.
The veterans were not serious in training, lacked enthusiasm in matches, and demanded “big brother” treatment within the team.
Various Chinese Super League clubs once again infiltrated the National Football Team, with two assistant coaches taking illicit payments and selling starting positions.
Wu Lei disliked this environment, but he was powerless.
“Everyone, meeting in the locker room!”
Jankovic walked to the sidelines alone. After shouting, he headed to the locker room.
The other coaching staff members were still enduring Sun Hai's “onslaught.” Jankovic stood alone in the middle of the locker room, waiting for everyone to sit down before he began to speak.
“Listen, your performance in the last match was like garbage! Who can tell me what went wrong?”
Jankovic's gaze swept over everyone.
Among the young players, those who hadn't played were fine, but those who had were all dejected.
The veterans, however, were different. They didn't even look at the head coach, sitting there calmly, with a few even showing impatience on their faces.
Just as Jankovic was somewhat disappointed and about to answer the question himself, a voice broke the silence in the locker room.
“Because we are garbage! We didn't do our job on the field. In the last match, we didn't deserve to win!”
Jankovic looked at Gao Nuo, who had stood up, and gestured for him to continue.
“I don't know what your goals are here, and I don't want to know. I only know that your performance is an insult to the jersey you wear and to the hundreds of millions of fans who support you.”
“Serving the country, in my opinion, is an incredibly glorious thing. The young players around you, they fight tooth and nail on the training ground just for a substitute spot on the National Football Team, but what about you? The so-called veterans? The team's big brothers? What kind of example have you set?”
“I've never seen such lax training, and even on the match field, your attitude makes me feel ashamed!”
Gao Nuo's rapid-fire speech plunged the locker room into absolute silence.
A 35-year-old veteran couldn't sit still and abruptly stood up.
“What the hell gives you the right to say such things? Don't think that just because you play well in the Premier League, the National Football Team has to spoil you. You're still wet behind the ears, is this how you talk to your seniors?”
The veteran wanted to keep ranting, but Gao Nuo's skill was undeniably there. Both his match attitude and ability level were superior to everyone else.
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After much thought, he could only resort to talking about seniority.
It was expected that the veterans would all rise up to attack, but the locker room became even quieter until a figure who had already been standing at the door spoke.
“Well said. Today, I'll talk to you about qualifications!”
Only then did the 35-year-old veteran see Sun Hai walk in from the doorway, glaring at him.
“Is Gao Nuo wrong? Look at your performance on the field. I'm embarrassed for you.”
“Good heavens, you're not lacking the energy to play against opponents, you're using all your strength to deal with your own people, aren't you?”
“Talking about qualifications? Who wants to talk about qualifications with me today?”
Sun Hai suppressed his anger. He was there to announce something important.
“Listen to me carefully, there's only one match left until qualification. Everyone sitting here must fully cooperate with the head coach's work. In this last match, only victory is allowed, no defeat!”
“And one more thing, Mr. Jankovic will announce it to you. Now, get back to the hotel and take a good look at the jerseys on your bodies!”
After Sun Hai finished speaking, he beckoned Jankovic out of the locker room.
Gao Nuo strode away, completely unconcerned with what others thought. He was there to win matches; building relationships was not within his consideration.
Ai Feierding, Hu Hetao, Li Hao, and Wang Xiaochuan, as Gao Nuo's loyal followers, left one after another, leaving behind a locker room filled with gloomy faces.
Sun Hai and Jankovic arrived at the hotel coffee shop.
“Mr. Jankovic, I have already dealt with the coaching staff's issues for you.”
“Thank you, I will bring you a victory.”
“I believe in you, and I know that the current situation is not your fault. But I'm sorry, I cannot let such things happen again. Chinese football is very fragile and cannot bear such risks.”
“Sun, I understand. The work these past few years has indeed been very tiring. I happen to need a rest.”
“One last thing, I hope you can arrange for Gao Nuo to be captain. You and I both saw how outstanding this young fellow is.”
“No problem. In two days, I will show you a brand new China Team.”
The two chatted for a few more minutes, then parted ways after finishing their coffee.
This conversation contained no explicit words of dismissal or resignation, but both understood implicitly that after the World Cup Qualifiers, the China Team, like its new captain Gao Nuo, would welcome a new head coach and a new beginning.
Sitting on the plane, Sun Hai's mood was complex. The China Team had only recently been cleaned up, and yet once again, woodworms had emerged. Even a foreign coach valued the future of the China Team more than these parasites.
On September 7, 2025, in the 4th round of the World Cup Qualifiers Asia region, China vs. Jordan.
Both teams' players began to enter the field for warm-ups.
Commentator Zhan Jun immediately noticed the changes on the field.
“Hello, everyone, and welcome to the World Cup Qualifiers Asia region match. In this match, the China Team faces Jordan. A victory will send them directly to next year's World Cup.”
“Oh? We see Gao Nuo, who is warming up, wearing the captain's armband. Does this mean Wu Lei will not be playing in this match?”
“Let's first take a look at both teams' starting lineups.”
“This is astonishing! National Football Team head coach Jankovic is very bold. We see that, apart from veterans Zhang Linpeng and Wu Lei, all other positions are filled with young players.”
“It's worth noting that Jordan's world ranking is 80, which is 9 places higher than the China Team.”
“Moreover, Gao Nuo is wearing the captain's armband in this match. We don't know what problems have occurred within the China Team, but Jankovic's lineup arrangement this time makes people feel a bit nervous!”
Chinese fans hadn't even had time to figure out the situation when the match had already begun.
In the 3rd minute of the match, after the China Team kicked off, they made a few simple passes, and the ball came to the left wing.
Ai Feierding took on the opposing full-back, successfully getting to the byline after a series of feints.
Gao Nuo leaped high in the penalty area, chesting Ai Feierding's cross. Without waiting for the ball to land, he turned and volleyed.
Jordan's defenders and goalkeeper were clearly unprepared, allowing Gao Nuo to dominate the penalty area.
The ball went directly into the goal. The China Team scored a lightning-fast goal, delivering a powerful blow to their opponents.
In the 12th minute of the match, Jordan attempted a counter-attack, but Wang Xiaochuan intercepted the ball. The familiar long pass, the familiar acceleration of a sports car, the familiar one-on-one with the goalkeeper, the familiar goal.
Gao Nuo completed a brace in 12 minutes. Standing on the GG billboard, Gao Nuo roared to the sky, his captain's armband dazzling.