Following a disappointing two-year tenure, Alain Perrin has been relieved of his position as China national team coach, according to the Chinese Football Association.
The Frenchman returned to China following a Christmas and New Year holiday and was summoned to CFA headquarters to be told of his fate.
A statement from the CFA read, “Following an amicable discussion, Mr Alain Perrin is no longer head coach of the Chinese men’s national football team as of today. The FA will now immediately begin the search for a new coach.
“Mr Perrin took over in February 2014 and performed his duties conscientiously, with strict management to inject new vigor into the squad and bring about a positive change in team spirit which took China to the quarter finals of the Asian Cup.
“Recently, after taking into consideration the performance of the team in the World Cup qualifiers and the need for a period of time to rebuild the team for the future, both parties came to an agreement that Mr Perrin step down.”
P W D L F A Win%
25 11 10 4 45 18 44.00%
The statement concluded by thanking Perrin for his efforts as coach and saying the FA would announce the identity of a new coach in due course.
Whilst the timing may have been little surprising, the decision to let Perrin go was not. Despite a very respectable showing a year ago at the AFC cup in Australia, which saw China win all three group games and qualify for the quarter-finals, the national team reverted to type with some very poor WC qualifying 2018 performances.
Currently China are struggling very badly to make the next round of WC qualifying following two shocking 0-0 draws against lowly Hong Kong.
It is believed a Chinese caretaker coach will take over the running of the national team in the interim and a foreign big name appointed at a later date.
