Editing China national football team (section)

====Marcello Lippi's tenure====
[[File:THA-CHN 20190120 Asian Cup 22.jpg|thumb|Chinese players after win against Thailand at [[2019 AFC Asian Cup]] Round of 16]] 
On 22 October 2016, [[Marcello Lippi]] was appointed manager of the team ahead for the last remaining matches.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.football-italia.net/93282/official-lippi-new-china-coach|title=Official: Lippi new China coach|publisher=Football Italia|date=22 October 2016|access-date=22 October 2016|last=Campanale|first=Susy|archive-date=22 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022221023/http://www.football-italia.net/93282/official-lippi-new-china-coach|url-status=live}}</ref> A match saw China defeat South Korea for the first time in a FIFA-sanctioned tournament, amidst the heat of tensions over South Korea's deployment of [[Terminal High Altitude Area Defense|THAAD]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://shanghaiist.com/2017/03/23/china_beats_south_korea/ | title=China beats South Korea 1–0 in 'football war' played in front of 10,000 police officers|last=Tan|first=Kenneth|date=2018-05-05|url-status=dead|archive-date=2018-07-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180723182528/https://shanghaiist.com/2017/03/23/china_beats_south_korea/}}</ref> However, China's away loss to Iran and a 2–2 draw to Syria meant China was unable to compete with and dragged behind by Syria who managed a 2–2 draw with Iran and not to be qualified for the 2018 World Cup under Lippi's tenure, but improvements could be seen following two late wins over Uzbekistan and Qatar.<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2109917/china-out-2018-world-cup-despite-winning-qatar| title=China's faint World Cup hopes vanish despite win in Qatar| date=5 September 2017| access-date=23 July 2018| archive-date=23 July 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180723182411/https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2109917/china-out-2018-world-cup-despite-winning-qatar| url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Elkeson.jpg|thumb|[[Ai Kesen]] played his first game for the national football team of China in 2019]]
Lippi led the side during the final stage of the [[2019 AFC Asian Cup]], where China won 2–1 to [[Kyrgyzstan national football team|Kyrgyzstan]] and 3–0 to [[Philippines national football team|Philippines]], before losing 2–0 to group leaders [[South Korea national football team|South Korea]] on 16 January.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://en.as.com/en/2019/01/16/football/1547641500_355620.html|title=South Korea lay down Asian Cup marker with Son to the fore|date=2019-01-24|last=Train|first=Rob|newspaper=As.com |publisher=AS|access-date=24 January 2019|archive-date=25 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190125020713/https://en.as.com/en/2019/01/16/football/1547641500_355620.html|url-status=live}}</ref> China then beat [[Thailand national football team|Thailand]] 2–1 to earn a place in the quarter-finals, where it was knocked 3–0 out by [[Iran national football team|Iran]]; Lippi subsequently confirmed his departure from the team.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/lippi-bows-out-as-iran-send-hapless-china-packing-from-the-asian-cup-20190125-p50tjk.html|title=Lippi bows out as Iran send hapless China packing from the Asian Cup|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=25 January 2019|access-date=24 January 2019|archive-date=25 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190125001547/https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/lippi-bows-out-as-iran-send-hapless-china-packing-from-the-asian-cup-20190125-p50tjk.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Another Italian and former [[Ballon d'Or]] winner, [[Fabio Cannavaro]] was appointed as the next China's manager in conjunction with coaching [[Guangzhou Evergrande]] but he stepped down after only two matches.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fotmob.com/news/1d36r6mgxm9kq1mxa068q957ul/cannavaro-quits-as-china-coach-after-two-games|title=Cannavaro quits as China coach after two matches|publisher=FotMob|date=29 April 2019|access-date=11 August 2022|archive-date=7 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407172821/https://www.fotmob.com/news/1d36r6mgxm9kq1mxa068q957ul/cannavaro-quits-as-china-coach-after-two-games|url-status=live}}</ref>

Lacking options when it came to searching for a new coach, CFA re-appointed Marcello Lippi.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thecfa.cn/xhxw/20190524/27220.html|title=里皮出任中国国家男子足球队主教练|date=24 May 2019|publisher=CFA|access-date=24 May 2019|archive-date=24 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524031308/http://www.thecfa.cn/xhxw/20190524/27220.html|url-status=live}}</ref> To improve the team, China had begun a series of [[List of Chinese naturalized footballers|naturalization on foreign-based players]], with [[Nico Yennaris]], an English-born Cypriot,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jul/01/china-football-nico-yennaris-li-ke-marcello-lippi|title=From Nico Yennaris to Li Ke: the name change fuelling Chinese dreams|date=2019-07-01|last=Duerden|first=John|work=The Guardian|access-date=11 September 2019|archive-date=31 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731183734/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jul/01/china-football-nico-yennaris-li-ke-marcello-lippi|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Tyias Browning]], another English-born player, being naturalized.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/video/china-win-soccer-world-cup-093000920.html|title=Can China win the soccer World Cup with a handful of naturalised players? Probably not|last=Zuo|first=Mandy|date=2019-07-06|publisher=Yahoo!|access-date=11 August 2022|archive-date=7 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407172820/https://www.yahoo.com/video/china-win-soccer-world-cup-093000920.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Subsequently, [[Elkeson]], a Brazilian player with no Chinese ancestry, was naturalized.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/21/football/elkeson-china-brazil-spt-intl/index.html|title=Brazilian-born striker Elkeson set to play for China|last=Lewis|first=Aimee|date=2019-08-21|publisher=CNN Sports|access-date=11 September 2019|archive-date=7 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607184207/https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/21/football/elkeson-china-brazil-spt-intl/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Despite the process of naturalization, the [[2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC second round|2022 FIFA World Cup qualification]] for China proved to be rockier than expected, the team could only beat the [[Maldives national football team|Maldives]] and [[Guam national football team|Guam]], before being held goalless in the [[Philippines national football team|Philippines]] and followed with a denting 1–2 away lost to [[Syria national football team|Syria]], and Lippi resigned as coach.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Church|first=Michael|date=2019-11-14|title=Lippi quits as China coach after Syria defeat|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-worldcup-china-idUKKBN1XO2HS|access-date=2020-11-08|archive-date=10 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210160512/https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-worldcup-china-idUKKBN1XO2HS|url-status=live}}</ref>