The technical director of the Chinese Football Association is about to leave


　　 . Kris van Puvelde plans to leave China later this month. He won the World Cup third place with the Belgian team.

　　The 63-year-old Belgian and current technical director of the Chinese Football Association, Kris van Puvelde, plans to leave China and return to Belgium later this month.

The Beiqing Daily reporter exclusively learned that although the Chinese Football Association had tried its best to retain this old friend with superb business ability and commendable professionalism, Kris still declined the association's invitation to renew the contract due to physical and family reasons.

Van Puvelde has repeatedly expressed his love for working and living in China and his deep feelings for Chinese football.

For the Chinese Football Association and Chinese football, his departure is undoubtedly a huge loss.

　　Chris in international football

　　Is a resounding "big name"

　　After the 2018 World Cup in Russia ended (at the end of the year), Kris was hired as the technical director of the Chinese Football Association.

In fact, Kris, who was unfamiliar to the majority of Chinese fans at that time, has long been a well-known "big name" in international football and Belgian football.

　　As the technical director of the Belgian Football Association at the time, Kreis was with the Belgian team at the World Cup in Russia.

The team finally won the third place, thus creating the team's best record in the history of the World Cup.

This is largely due to the technical support provided by Chris to the team.

　　Over the past three and a half years, Chris

　　There is huge support for national fonts at all levels

　　It is understood that the Belgian coach Martinez was recognized by Chris.

For Martinez, Chris is both a mentor and a good friend.

In the second half of 2020, Li Tie, the then national football coach, had an online business exchange with Martinez under the help of Kris, which greatly benefited Li Tie and the national football team.

　　In the past three and a half years, Kris has provided huge technical support to Chinese football, especially the national football teams at all levels.

For example, last year, he almost played with the national football team in the Qatar World Qualifiers.

In October last year, during the isolation period with the national football team in Suzhou, he also participated in the interview for the national women's football coach selection remotely.

A Chinese colleague who is familiar with him once commented: "The old man is not only professional, but also very enthusiastic and sincere. As long as he can, he will do his best to help Chinese football."

　　At the beginning of this year, due to factors such as the epidemic and Japan's restrictions on the number of visitors to the top 12 visiting teams, Kreis was unable to travel with the team to Japan and Vietnam.

After a historic loss to the Vietnam team, the national football team finally missed the World Cup finals in Qatar two rounds ahead of schedule.

After the team experienced changes such as coaching changes at the end of last year, Kris did not go out with the team in the last 4 rounds of the top 12.

　　For personal health and family reasons

　　Chris gives up on renewing contract with FA

　　In fact, after the national football team was eliminated from the top 12 competition, there was no competition preparation task this year, and Kress's technical support for the national men's football team temporarily came to an end.

　　Of course, as the technical director of the Chinese Football Association, Kreis' work is not limited to providing technical support to the national team.

In view of the excellent work performance of Kris in the past three years, the Chinese Football Association is inclined to re-employ him.

However, Chris gave up on renewing his contract due to personal health and family reasons.

　　It is reported that the 4-year work contract between Kris and the Chinese Football Association should end at the end of this year.

But before that, since returning to China at the turn of the spring and summer of 2020, the old man has not been able to return to China for more than 2 years.

His professional attitude deeply moved the colleagues of the Chinese Football Association, so the association agreed to his request to leave the post of technical director early from the perspective of humanistic care.

　　It is worth noting that while working in the Chinese Football Association, Kris also received heavy invitations from Japan, Saudi Arabia and other countries, but Kris established good cooperative relations and friendship with Chinese colleagues through work and life.

Chris is very satisfied with his life in China.

For Chinese football, he has also shown reluctance.

　　After Kris confirmed his departure, who will replace him, or whether the Chinese Football Association will continue to hire foreign technical directors, there is no official precise statement yet.

　　Text/Co-ordinator by our reporter Xiao Xun/Du Rui