China's State General Administration of Sports, the governing body for Chinese sports, has turned down all three candidates for the head coach position of China's national soccer team for the 2008 Olympics, according to local newspapers.

 

The Chinese Soccer Association and its marketing partner, Infront Sports & Media, submitted the list of candidates to the State General Administration of Sports after months of research, but none of them were considered qualified by administration officials.

 

The list includes Willem van Hanegem, Howard Wilkinson and Hans Hubert "Berti" Vogts.

 

Chinese media believe the final decision will be made no later than this September, though the administration said they would not set a deadline for its decision.

 

(CRI July 29, 2006)