Sampaoli's China link

"Given the current performance of China's national soccer team, no one can make a real difference," Han wrote on Weibo on Monday.

"No matter who is the driver, if you don't have a great car, you still cannot speed the vehicle on the highway.

"If we're not keeping Lippi, we should use domestic coaches. We are used to Team China's performance now, so it's OK that there are no groundbreaking changes in recent years. However, we should focus on and invest in youth training."

Despite a glittering managerial resume that included winning the 2006 World Cup with Italy, Lippi's two-year stint at China's helm has delivered little to cheer about as the nation once again failed to qualify for the World Cup. China's lone finals appearance came in 2002.

The 70-year-old has one last chance to bow out on a high at the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates (Jan 5-Feb 1).

Despite claiming China has improved during his reign, Lippi is steering an aging squad, prompting the CFA to recently instigate a number of measures to breathe new life into the youth ranks.

Respected Dutch coach Guus Hiddink, who took South Korea to a World Cup semifinal, has been tasked with leading China's under-21 squad to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

An autumn training sojourn in the Netherlands has paid early dividends for Hiddink, with the 72-year-old's charges beating Thailand 1-0 and drawing with Iceland 1-1 at a four-nation invitational tournament in Chongqing last week.

As well, 55 of the nation's top under-25 players were last month whisked away to a military-style training camp in Shandong province, which is due to wrap up in December.

A new under-23 league involving clubs from the top three tiers of the domestic game is also set to kick off next month.

There have also been other glimmers of hope in the Chinese Super League, including Wu Lei's golden-boot clinching 27-goal tally for new CSL champion Shanghai SIPG providing some much-needed cheer.

If Sampaoli does take China's reins, harnessing Wu's scoring prowess on the international stage should be a top priority for the Argentine.