LI XIAOPENG has been tipped to take over the Chinese men’s soccer team as a replacement for Li Tie, who is facing a media backlash. Xiaopeng, the current head coach of Chinese Super League club Wuhan FC, is good at communicating and could be better equipped to deal with the media, according to a report from Soccer News. “If without further twists, the change of the national team’s head coach will come within days. Li Xiaopeng, in all probability, will succeed Li Tie,” reported the Guangzhou-based newspaper. Li Tie stays silent since he hit back at his critics at the post-game press conference of the FIFA World Cup qualifier between China and Australia, which ended 1-1 Nov. 16. His future at the Chinese team has been questioned by Chinese media after he was found to erase the logo of his side’s sponsor in the pictures he posted on his social media account. He was also accused of using his capacity as China’s head coach to plug several products on his social media account. Li Tie has offered an oral apology to the Chinese Football Association president Chen Xuyuan for embroiling the Chinese side in controversies, a Beijing Youth Daily report said. The Chinese side will complete the two-week mandatory quarantine Thursday. China, with only five points from six games in their World Cup qualification campaign, will face Japan in its next game Jan. 27, 2022 as well as an arduous task of clawing its way back. (Xinhua) | 