Chinese football is in nobody's court

Cai Zhenhua is a much-loved figure in China, both as a former world table tennis champion and coach of the national team. Before he took over as coach, the Chinese men's table tennis team had been pushed by European players to play second fiddle in international competitions. His leadership, from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, however, ensured that the Chinese squad regained its unconquerable position.

Little wonder then that Chinese soccer fans have high expectation from Cai, now that he has been appointed as chairman of the Chinese Football Association. But Chinese soccer fans need to be realistic.

Cai, given his accomplishments as a world-class table tennis player and outstanding manager, is the right person to build a strong national men's soccer team. Yet the Chinese men's soccer team has a history of letting down the largest group of soccer fans in the world, irrespective of the person in charge. Can Cai really change history? We hope he can.