Reports are in that CFA head Wei Di was removed from his position this evening. It is currently not clear what has brought about this decision.
The controversial Wei, with his background in aquatic sports, took over the CFA at the beginning of 2010 and looked to usher in a new era and kick corruption out of the Chinese game. Along with his positive efforts on these fronts, he attempted to some very unconventional changes and fired successful national team manager Gao Hongbo, replacing him with the underwhelming Jose Antonio Camacho.
Speculation exists that this could have the imprimatur of the country’s new leader, Xi Jinping, a known football fan. Wei’s replacement is Zhang Jian, not much is known about his resume yet, but he comes to the CFA after having served as the head of the General Administration of Sports’ Policy and Regulations Department. Whether this choice offers hints as to why Wei was fired is purely guesswork. Wei was expected to continue to serve for a number of years and his replacement after only three years comes as a major shock. What is known is that Zhang has declared that his first step will be to “set straight”the internal politics of the CFA and then use a “broad hatchet” to bring about “revolution” in Chinese football.
We at will be sure to provide further updates via our twitter, weibo, and on here as we get them.
by bcheng
