Domanski quits as women's soccer coach

China's national women's soccer team head coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors from Sweden has chosen not to lead the squad to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, China Football Association (CFA) announced yesterday.

"We have received the final decision from Marika Domanski-Lyfors and she will not continue the job of head coach due to health and family problems," said CFA spokesman Meng Hongtao.

The announcement puts to an end almost a month of speculation about whether or not she would sign a contract extension, which CFA offered her in spite of the team's failure to reach the semis in last month's FIFA Women's World Cup.

Domanski, who is China's first women's soccer head coach from overseas, graciously accepted responsibility for China's early exit after the tournament. The vocal support from both players and chief officials strongly suggested that the dignified mentor would be retained and would steer the team into the Beijing Games.

CFA expressed its desire to keep her on as coach and began discussing with her preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Meng said Domanski gave CFA "many constructive suggestions" about how to prepare for the Games, and said the association was disappointed when she and her assistants let them know she would not sign the contract extension.

"We hoped they would stay, but we have to respect their decisions," Meng said. "We also appreciate their hard work and contributions to the sport's development."

Domanski insisted the illness of her assistant Pia Sundhage and other family matters convinced her to stay at home rather than keep a job far away in China.

But Chinese media have labeled these reasons as mere excuses, saying the real factor was a disagreement with CFA over how to take charge of the team.

Rumors suggest Domanski asked to take full control of the team before the Olympics, to the displeasure of some chief officials.

Traditionally, a CFA official has accompanied the national soccer team wherever it goes, whether in competition or training, and always has the right to question a coach's decision-making.

Who might take over for Domanski remains a mystery. The final decision will reportedly be released within a week so the team can begin preparing for the Olympics as soon as possible.

Meng also confirmed that CFA is seeking another high-level foreign coach to take the reins.

"We will find a coach with experience in high-level competitions and with soccer styles in line with China's team," Meng said.

"The new coach is set to be a foreigner, but it's not time yet to give any detailed information."

The latest reports showed the leading candidates are Frenchwoman Elisabeth Loisel, former coach of France and current member of FIFA's Technical Study Group, and American April Heinrichs, the head coach who led the United States to victory in the first FIFA Women's World Cup held in China in 1991.

Sources have also mentioned German coach Krautzun Eckhard as an ideal successor because of his experience as head coach of China's youth team and as a technical advisor for the women's team.

Local coaches such as Ma Liangxing and Wang Haiming are also said to be among possible candidates to succeed the Swede.

Further speculation has suggested Brazil's famed women's coach Jorge Barcellos is also in the mix. Barcellos led Brazil to its first-ever World Cup final last month, where it lost to Germany.

The Soccer newspaper reported last week Barcellos has expressed interest in taking over China's women's team.

(China Daily 10/24/2007 page22)