The draw for the top 40 matches

On the afternoon of July 17, Beijing time 17 (Malaysia time 17), under the supervision of FIFA, the AFC will hold the draw ceremony for the second stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Asian Regional Qualifiers in the conference hall of AFC Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

This is another draw for the top 40. Due to the long distance, the current national football coach Lippi did not arrive in Kuala Lumpur.

Four years ago, when the 20 15 Russian World Cup qualifiers were drawn, the then national football coach and Frenchman Perrin personally went to the scene to witness the lottery turning point that affected his career.

Perrin/According to VCG (the same below)

At the beginning of the Asian Cup, the national football team coached by Perrin gave people a refreshing feeling. At that time, Perrin was full of confidence in entering the next stage of the competition. In an interview with FIFA official website, Perrin said, "We have built a bridge to the 20 18 World Cup. We are ready to go at any time. "

At that time, as a result of the lottery, China was in Group C with Qatar, Maldives, Bhutan and China. In the face of this lottery result, all parties expressed optimism. "The national football team can laugh after waking up" and "The group of death has become history" ... Perrin even smiled on the spot when she saw the lottery results.

However, in the top 40 competition led by Perrin, the class was suddenly dismissed after only six games. Two 0-0 draws in China and 0-/kloc-0 losses to Qatar. Gao Hongbo was even more crucial, until the final round, when it beat Qatar 2-0 at home, and finally advanced to the top 12 again after a lapse of 15.

When she left that year, Perrin was interviewed by Red Star News in her apartment in Beijing. The word "unwilling" was repeatedly mentioned by him. He had hoped to lead the team to finish the last two games of the World Cup 40. At that time when he was told that the class was over, he was still working at his desk at home, writing his national team construction plan for China Football Association as his farewell gift.

Finally, he is still reviewing the regrets of the top 40. "We are developing in a good direction, but it is because of these three games that we are unlucky not to take it down. Actually win or lose in an instant ... "

The following content is based on some interviews in that year.

"I can only say that we lost to luck."

Perrin and the national football team still have a honeymoon period, especially after the three-game winning streak in the Asian Cup group stage. However, competitive sports has always been a result-oriented theory. The top 40 didn't beat China and Hong Kong in two games, which wiped out all the goodwill. But Perrin thinks he is only a few posts away from success.

Red Star News: Are the two draws with China and Hongkong almost fatal? Looking back on these two games, do you think there are any major mistakes in your work?

Perrin: We are just unlucky. We had chances in both games against China and Hongkong. We hit the post eight times with one * * *, and two obvious goals were disallowed. This is impossible in Europe or the World Cup, because they have goal line skills or five referees can see every move in every corner, and our obvious goals are blown away.

Red Star News:/kloc-What is the reason for the failure to break the door in 0/80 minutes?

Perrin: China and Hong Kong didn't play real football. They stuck to their guns. I can only say that we lost to the referee and lost to luck.

Red Star News: At the beginning of the Asian Cup, the national football team played well and won the group match. However, in the World Cup Top 40 in the second half of the year, the national football team drew China and Hongkong 0-0, 0-/kloc-0-0 and lost to Qatar. Why? What happened this year?

Perrin: Actually, I'm telling you, nothing happened. Can you believe it? I have led the team to play 28 games in the past two years and only lost 4 games. I think our team's winning percentage is already very high. We are developing in a good direction, but it is because of these three games that we are unlucky not to take it down. In fact, winning or losing is in an instant. If we move forward now, the prospects are very good and everything will change.

It is predicted that it will catch up with Japan and South Korea in two to five years.

Now it sounds like a joke

He was moved by the courtesy given to Perrin by China Football. After he led the team to play the Asian Cup with good results, the China Football Association took the initiative to renew his contract, which not only increased his annual salary from 6.5438+0.2 million euros after tax to 6.5438+0.5 million euros, but also changed his residence from Guo Mao to the most prosperous Dongzhimen area in Beijing. The monthly rent of this foreign-related apartment is as high as 38,000 yuan (Perrin paid 8,000 yuan herself).

When Red Star News asked Perrin to rate himself, he thought for nearly 1 minute and gave himself 75-80 points. This score is not low. He is obviously satisfied with his work in China. What he doesn't want to do is to have no time for him.

Red Star News: If the full score is 100, how many points do you give yourself as the national football coach in the past two years?

Perrin: I think it should be between 75 and 80.

Red Star News: Good score. Why?

Perrin: I worked hard for two years and brought a lot to China football. If China was second-rate in Asia before I came, and even some teams in Bisilliat were worse, then through my efforts, China has caught up now, and even some teams in Bisilliat are better.

Red Star News: If you rank Asian teams, what will it be?

Perrin: The first level is Japan, South Korea and Australia. Australia is a little weak, and China has no chance to play against them; In the second grade, the teams are West Asia and China. At present, the level of China team should be equal to or even better than that of UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. It's normal to lose to Qatar in the top 40, because we are on the same level as them. When the level of the two teams is close, the results such as winning or losing may happen.

Red Star News: How many years do you think there is still a gap between China football and Asian football teams like Japan and South Korea?

Perrin: I think it will take two to five years. Now the gap between us is not big, one step away. As long as we work harder, I believe China can catch up with Japanese and Korean in football in the future. I am writing the construction plan of the national team now, hoping to hand it over to the China Football Association before I leave. I told the leaders of the Football Association that I wanted to do my part for China football and I wanted to be a consultant for China football.

It's been three and a half years since Perrin left, and the gap between soccer in China and soccer in Japan and South Korea seems to still exist, even growing. Perrin's prediction of catching up with Japan and South Korea in two to five years sounds like a joke.

Links to previous interview reports:

Editor Zhang