November 8 – Chinese coach Li Tie (pictured) says lack of overseas experience in his squad is hampering efforts to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Qatar.
Only striker Wu Lei, currently with Spanish side Espanyol, is playing in any of Europe’s top five leagues.
“I used to play in the Premier League,” said former Everton midfielder Li. “Playing with and against top players all the time got me used to that environment, so when I then played for the national team, I didn’t feel nervous.
“Playing overseas is an effective way to improve our players. I hope that we will have more talented players playing in top-tier leagues and international games.”
China haven’t made the World Cup finals since 2002 and Li is also bemoaning the fact that he is unable to augment his squad because of the Chinese Super League’s current inactivity.
“We thought about recruiting other players, but because many Chinese Super League teams are on holiday, we have very limited options,” Li said, quoted by Xinhua.
Li’s team next face Oman in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on November 11 before taking on Australia in the same venue five days later. Both games were originally scheduled to be played in China but were switched because of the country’s coronavirus quarantine rules.
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