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China sacks women's soccer coach to quash feud: reports

"We would rather pay the [US$113,000 compensation] than have her back."

anonymous Chinese Football Association official

The Chinese Football Association has decided to end bitter infighting on the women's national team by firing French coach Elisabeth Loisel, reports said yesterday.

Association leaders met in Beijing earlier this week and decided to fire Loisel, 44, less than five months after giving her the task of leading the team to a silver medal at this summer's Beijing Olympics, the reports said.

An association official declined to confirm the reports, but said that an announcement would be made in the coming days.

Sina.com said the decision brought to an end the darkest period in the history of Chinese women's soccer, marked by poor results and public disputes between the coach and team officials.

Loisel has had a fractious relationship with players and officials during her five months in the job, with problems coming to a head after China finished ninth in the recent Algarve Cup in Portugal.

The coach went on vacation in France following the Portuguese tournament and had been expected to report back here for team duty next week.

The association will have to pay Loisel about 800,000 yuan (US$113,000) in compensation for ending her contract early, according to the Beijing News, which quoted an official as saying "we would rather pay the money than have her back."

Loisel took over in October last year after her predecessor, Swedish coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors, abruptly quit after a poor run in the women's World Cup last year and amid reports of disputes with association bureaucrats.

Loisel, the former French national coach, blamed her problems in China on the team's general manager, Zhang Jianqiang, whom she accused of sabotaging her work.

China is now searching for their fifth women's soccer coach since the Athens Olympics less than four years ago.

According to media reports, the association plans to appoint a Chinese coach.
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