India's national team will return home victorious despite playing out a goalless draw in China. But the Chinese fans are not particularly happy and have demanded head coach Marcello Lippi's head, even as more than 50 of the country's top under-25 players were taken for a military-style training.
The international friendly match held in the city of Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, on Saturday was the first between the two Asian giants in 21 years. Most Chinese fans were sure of victory, but despite attacking most of the match, China failed to finish off multiple attempts, state-run Global Times reported.
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A 0-0 draw with India in the "planet derby" between the world's two most populous nations enraged Chinese soccer fans, official media reported on Monday.
"It is absolutely devastating to think that these are the best 30 players from a population base of three billion," the daily quoted China Central Television (CCTV) soccer commentator He Wei as saying after the match.
"The weak opponent has made the Chinese soccer team look worse. Way to go India," posted one fan on social media site Sina Weibo.
In a keenly-watched football match played between the two most populous countries in the world but still laggards in the global game, China dominated the proceedings with waves of onslaughts on the Indian citadel but they failed to score a goal.
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Lippi, known as the 'Silver Fox' is the only manager to win the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League and the AFC Champions League. But he has failed to inspire the Chinese national team since his appointment in November 2016. He is likely to leave the role after January's Asian Cup.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Football Association had reportedly ordered a military-style training camp for 55 under-25 players from the Chinese Super League and second-tier League One.
It's also reported that those 55 players were the ones Lippi deemed unfit for the national duty.
President Xi Jinping, a football fan, has a stated goal of making China a football power by the turn of the century.
But China have had unfavourable results in the last few months, drawing with Bahrain and losing to Qatar.
(With Agency inputs)
