Chinese media reported that Shandong Taishan, a professional soccer team in China, is recruiting coach Choi Kang-hee of ‘Kanghee the Great’ as their new head coach.

China’s 안전놀이터‘Sina Sports’ reported on the 16th, “Director Choi Kang-hee is expected to take the helm instead of coach Hao-wei, who has been absent for a long time in Shandong Taishan.”

Another media, Sohu.com, also said, “Shandong Taishan is very close to negotiations with coach Choi Kang-hee. Specific details are not yet known.”

Shandong Taishan’s head coach, Fabio, is acting as the head coach while head coach Hao Wei is being investigated by the Chinese police for match-fixing charges. The team’s record is only 1 win, 4 draws and 2 losses (7 points), and it is in 9th place among 16 first division teams.

More worrisome is that the team’s key midfielder, Son Jun-ho, is being investigated by the Chinese police while in custody.

Initially, it was known that the investigation was about coach Hao Wei’s match-fixing case, but it turned out that he was being investigated for bribery. The fact that Son Jun-ho, who plays as the team’s key player, is accused of bribery is itself a curious point.

In this chaotic situation, coach Choi Kang-hee became a strong candidate for the command tower to replace coach Hao-wei.

Coach Choi is the ‘Chinese Tong Command Tower’ who directed Tianjin Tianhai, Dalian Yifang, and Shanghai Shenhua in the Chinese league.

Chief coach Fabio, who now directs Shandong Taishan as an acting manager, also coached at Jeonbuk Hyundai in the K-League and assisted coach Choi.