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Mike Chan

China football officials have rushed to quash online rumours that men’s under-23 head coach Antonio Puche will be axed after the Asian Games no matter what his side does in Japan next month.
Responding to rumours that the Spaniard would not have his contract renewed, officials from the Chinese Football Association (CFA) said that was “false information”, and hinted that he may be handed a bigger role.
Speculation over Puche’s future came soon after former China men’s captain Li Weifeng used the sacking of Bora Milutinovic, who was fired immediately after leading the team to its only World Cup, as an example of the way unqualified officials were ruining football in the country.
Puche is currently preparing a squad largely made up of U23 players, with some over-aged members allowed, for the Games in Nagoya.
“The association fully affirmed the contributions of Antonio’s team in cultivating China’s national youth teams, steadily improving the team’s strength, and leading the U23 national men’s football team to win the runner-up title in the Asian Cup this year, achieving a historic breakthrough,” the CFA said in a statement.
“Any online rumours about ‘not renewing the contract, changing coaches, and temporary personnel changes’ are all malicious speculations and do not reflect the actual situation.”

The CFA statement added that it had a good relationship with Puche and his coaching staff, noted the remarkable work done by the 54-year-old, who coached the country’s U20 team from 2022 to 2023.
“In accordance with the association’s requirements for building a ‘grand national team system’ … coaching teams that have met performance expectations, demonstrated effective management, and received positive assessments from experts and the public will have the opportunity to transition to coaching other national-level squads upon the conclusion of their current assignments,” the statement said.
It finished by saying preparations for qualifying for the 2028 Olympics would begin immediately after the Asian Games.
In January, Puche’s team famously beat Australia in the group phase and did not concede a goal en route to the AFC U23 Asian Cup final, but were thrashed 4-0 by Japan in Jeddah.
Despite the loss, the results in Saudi Arabia marked a significant improvement for the U23 team, whose previous best result was finishing sixth in 2018. The team failed to reach the main draw in 2020 and 2022.
In the Asian Games, the men’s football event runs from September 15 to October 3, with China in Group B alongside the United Arab Emirates, Iran and North Korea. The top two teams from the four groups advance to the knockout stages.
Hong Kong have been placed in Group A, alongside the hosts, Thailand, and Kyrgyzstan.
While the CFA has not set any performance targets for the regional Games, media reports suggested that Puche’s team aim to reach at least the quarter-finals, with the Spanish coach asking his team to “play their own style and showcase the level of the Asian Cup performance”.


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Chinese Football Association (CFA)

Antonio Puche guided China to the finals of 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup and is preparing his side for next month’s Asian Games. Photo: Xinhua

China players celebrate with head coach Antonio Puche after beating Vietnam in the semi-finals of the AFC U23 Asian Cup. Photo: Getty Images

Li Weifeng (right) played for his country for 11 years and was a member of the only squad to reach a World Cup. Photo: AP

Bora Milutinovic led China to their only World Cup appearance in 2002. Photo: AFP

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James Scott scored on his debut as Supreme Sha Tin beat Eastern 3-1 in a Hong Kong Premier League match at Mong Kok Stadium last week. Photo: Getty Images

James Scott (left) playing for Ross County against Partick Thistle in a William Hill Championship match in January. Photo: Getty Images

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Rumours swirl over Antonio Puche’s future, but officials hint that bigger things lie ahead for successful Spaniard


Rumours swirl over Antonio Puche’s future, but officials hint that bigger things lie ahead for successful Spaniard.


Asian Games 2026

China football bosses deny U23 coach Antonio Puche faces axe after Asian Games win or lose

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Rumours swirl over Antonio Puche’s future, but officials hint that bigger things lie ahead for successful Spaniard

Rumours swirl over Antonio Puche’s future, but officials hint that bigger things lie ahead for successful Spaniard