Gao Hongbo

2.1. Birth and Family

Gao Hongbo was born on January 25, 1966, in Beijing, China. He hails from a Hui family, an ethnic minority group in China.

2.2. Upbringing and Youth Career

Gao's football talent was recognized early, and he was discovered and coached by the renowned Xu Genbao at a Beijing sports school. His structured development began when he joined the Beijing Youth Football Team in 1981. After several years of training and progression through the youth ranks, he was promoted to the senior Beijing team, which later became known as Beijing Guoan, in 1985. Gao Hongbo stands at 70 in ^{(179 cm)} tall.

3.1. Club Career

Gao Hongbo began his professional club career with the senior Beijing team, now known as Beijing Guoan, in 1985. He gradually established himself within the squad. His prominence significantly increased when Beijing won promotion to the top tier in 1990. Once in the top flight, his career flourished, and by the early 1990s, he became an integral member of the team. During this period, he personally won the Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards, despite the team not securing a major trophy.

In 1994, Gao left Beijing Guoan to play in Singapore for Tiong Bahru CSC. This move was reportedly due to difficulties in passing the physical standard test set by the Chinese Football Association. With Tiong Bahru, he excelled, becoming the best scorer in Singapore's FAS Premier League in 1994 and winning the President's Cup in the same year.

Following his successful stint in Singapore, Gao Hongbo returned to the newly formed professional Beijing Guoan club in 1995. He made an immediate impact, scoring 21 goals over the next two years. In 1996, he helped Beijing Guoan win the Chinese FA Cup. After this success, he departed Beijing Guoan and joined Guangzhou Songri in the second tier in 1997. There, he reunited with his former coach, Xu Genbao, and played a crucial role in helping the club win promotion to the top tier in 1997, leading the league in scoring with 18 goals. Gao Hongbo was offered an assistant coach position at Guangzhou Songri before the 1998 league season, and he officially retired from playing after that season concluded. Throughout his playing days, he was nicknamed "Albert Einstein on the pitch" due to his intelligence and skill, being recognized as a prolific second striker famous for his agility in the penalty box and his excellent finishing ability.

3.2. International Career

Gao Hongbo made his senior international debut for the China national football team on April 4, 1992, coming on as a substitute in a friendly match against the USA. China suffered a significant 5-0 defeat in that game, marking one of their biggest recorded losses. Despite this result, he was included in the squad for the 1992 AFC Asian Cup qualification. He scored his debut international goal on April 23, 1992, against the Malaysian national team, contributing to China's 4-0 victory.

China successfully qualified for the 1992 AFC Asian Cup, where Gao was part of the squad that secured a third-place finish in the tournament. His most prominent period in the national team came during the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification process, where he established himself as a key member of the Chinese squad. However, despite his best efforts, he was unable to help China qualify for the World Cup. After several years away from the national team, new manager Bobby Houghton recalled Gao for several friendly matches and a World Cup Qualifier against the Vietnamese national team. His last international appearance was on May 25, 1997, in a match China won 3-1 against Vietnam, before he officially retired from playing.

3.3. International Goals

4.1. Club Management

Gao Hongbo's coaching journey commenced at Guangzhou Songri, where he was appointed as an assistant player-coach by Xu Genbao in the 1997 league season. When Xu Genbao left to coach Dalian Wanda, Gao remained as assistant under his successor, Edson Tavares. Following Tavares's departure at the end of the 1998 season, Gao Hongbo, at the age of 33, took over as head coach for the 1999 league season. However, he quickly encountered issues with his players and left the club after only 11 matches, despite a decent start. He then traveled abroad to further his coaching education, studying at several clubs in London and Southampton. His former teammate Yang Chen also invited him to study in Germany.

After several months of study, Gao Hongbo was appointed coach of the China U-17 national team. Although his team eliminated South Korea and qualified from the group stage in the AFC U-17 Championship 2000, a decisive 1-7 defeat to Japan ultimately led to his resignation from the national youth post.

Following his departure from the U-17 team, Gao Hongbo returned to assist Xu Genbao, this time at Shanghai Zhongyuan. This coaching duo successfully guided the club to promotion to the Chinese Jia-A League in 2001, before both left the club in 2002. From 2003 to 2004, Gao served as an assistant coach for the senior China national team. After Wu Jingui, the coach of Shanghai Shenhua, was appointed to the national team, Gao left to coach Xiamen Hongshi.

At Xiamen Hongshi, Gao Hongbo achieved surprising success. He transformed the team into strong promotion contenders, leading them to a third-place finish in the 2004 second-tier league. The following season, in 2005, Xiamen Hongshi won the league title, securing promotion to the Chinese Super League.

In 2006, he took charge of Changchun Yatai and famously led them to their first-ever Chinese Super League championship in 2007. However, he was dismissed by Changchun in 2008 as the club struggled to replicate their previous season's form.

On September 24, 2011, Gao became the head coach of Shaanxi Chanba, which later became Guizhou Renhe. He managed the team until November 2012. Subsequently, he managed Shanghai Dongya from February 2013 to November 2013, and Jiangsu Sainty from November 2013 to June 2015. In September 2015, Gao took on an international role, joining Eredivisie side ADO Den Haag in the Netherlands as an assistant to manager Henk Fräser. The Dutch club was owned by the Chinese Sports Marketing Company United Vansen. His most recent club management role was with Beijing Enterprises, which he coached from April 2017 until 2019.

4.2. China National Team Management (First Stint)

On April 16, 2009, Gao Hongbo signed a contract to become the head coach of the China national football team. At 43 years old, he became the youngest person to take the helm of the national team in 30 years. His appointment was notable as he was the first China national team coach selected through an open selection process, competing against other candidates such as Wu Jingui, Yin Tiesheng, and Shen Xiangfu.

Under Gao's leadership, China adopted a new strategic approach, moving away from a decade-long reliance on long balls and header strategies. He implemented ground passing tactics and frequently utilized the 4-2-3-1 formation. The chief of the Chinese Football Association at the time, Wei Di, emphasized the importance of team spirit and courage, regardless of win or loss, expressing hope for a new image for the national team within a year.

Gao's debut as manager saw China draw 1-1 with Germany in Shanghai on May 29, 2009. Just three days later, China secured a 1-0 victory over Iran in a friendly match. These positive results against strong opponents raised hopes among Chinese football fans for a more prosperous era under his guidance.

With the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification already concluded, Gao's primary task was to secure qualification for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. China achieved this by earning 13 points in the qualification rounds. In January 2010, he led the national team to win the 2010 East Asian Football Championship. This triumph included a goalless draw against hosts Japan and a historic 3-0 stunning victory over South Korea, marking China's first win against them in 32 years. China concluded the tournament by defeating Hong Kong 2-0. Further notable results under his tenure included a 1-0 victory against France in June 2010 and a 1-1 draw against Paraguay, a World Cup quarter-finalist, in September 2010. These performances fueled optimism among some fans, who even considered a semi-final appearance at the Asian Cup possible.

In January 2011, Gao led the national team to the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. After a strong opening victory over Kuwait, China lost to the host nation in their second match. This meant they needed to defeat Uzbekistan in their final group game to have a chance at advancing to the knockout stage. However, they only managed a 2-2 draw, resulting in their exit from the tournament in the first round. Despite accumulating four points from a win and a draw, and fielding a young team with an average age of 23, this performance led to some discontent among Chinese fans and ultimately contributed to the Chinese Football Association's (CFA) decision to replace him. Although Gao's winning percentage of 63.16% was the highest for a Chinese manager since Nian Weisi (67.86%), and he remained undefeated in eight matches (6 wins, 2 draws) after the Asian Cup, the CFA decided to move in a different direction. Despite an initial announcement that Gao would not be fired, he was officially sacked on August 13, 2011, less than a month before the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, and was replaced by José Antonio Camacho. At the time, Chinese football was grappling with significant issues of corruption, gambling, and match-fixing scandals, which Wei Di acknowledged had degraded the sport to an "intolerable level."

4.3. China National Team Management (Second Stint)

After Alain Perrin was dismissed due to the China's poor performance in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, Gao Hongbo volunteered to return as head coach, stating his commitment to assist the national team in its time of need. He was reappointed on February 3, 2016.

In his second stint, Gao Hongbo and the national team achieved a miraculous turnaround in their final two matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification second round. China secured a 4-0 victory over Maldives at home, reclaiming second place in their group from Hong Kong after Qatar defeated Hong Kong 2-0. In their crucial final match, China needed to defeat Qatar and rely on favorable results from other groups. China won 2-0 against Qatar. Due to a 5-1 thrashing of Jordan by the Socceroos and a surprising 2-3 loss by North Korea to the Philippines, China successfully qualified for the final round of the 2018 World Cup qualification in the Asian zone, securing their spot as the last of the top four second-placed teams. This achievement also earned them direct qualification for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

However, China struggled in the third round of the qualifiers. Gao Hongbo resigned on October 11, 2016, following consecutive losses to Syria (1-0) and Uzbekistan (2-0).

4.4. Coaching Philosophy and Tactics

Gao Hongbo's coaching philosophy marked a significant shift in the tactical approach of the Chinese national team. He moved away from the traditional reliance on long balls and aerial play, which had been prevalent for almost a decade. Instead, he emphasized a ground passing style of play. He frequently employed the 4-2-3-1 formation, aiming for a more structured and possession-based game. This tactical approach was intended to foster a more modern and fluid style of football for the Chinese teams he managed.

5.1. Player Honours

Tiong Bahru CSC

• President's Cup: 1994

Beijing Guoan

• Chinese FA Cup: 1985, 1996
• Chinese Jia-A League: Runner-up (1995); Third Place (1986, 1991, 1993)
• Chinese Jia-B League: Winner (1990); Third Place (1989)
• Chinese FA Cup: Runner-up (1986); Semifinalist (1990, 1991, 1995)

Individual

• Chinese Football Association Golden Boot: 1989, 1992
• FAS Premier League Top Scorer: 1994
• Chinese Second Tier League Top Scorer: 1997

China national football team

• AFC Asian Cup: Third Place (1992)

5.2. Manager Honours

Xiamen Hongshi

• China League One: Winner (2005); Third Place (2004)

Changchun Yatai

• Chinese Super League: Winner (2007)

Beijing Renhe (as assistant coach)

• Chinese Jia-B League: Winner (2001)

Jiangsu FC

• Chinese FA Cup: Winner (2015); Runner-up (2014)

China PR national football team

• East Asian Football Championship: Winner (2010)

6.1. Managerial statistics

As of November 3, 2018.