In the first quarter-finals of the U20 Asian Cup that ended on February 22, Beijing time, the Chinese national youth lost 0-1 to Saudi Arabia and missed the semifinals. After the game, national youth coach Djurdjevic also responded to the substitution controversy in an interview and the feeling of not being able to participate in the World Youth Championships.

First of all, Djurdjevic was saddened by the brutal result of missing out on the World Junior Championships: "I thought about many results, but I never imagined such a feeling. It's hard to say, that's what we are in the industry. Sometimes you lack luck, but you can't do anything about it. We deserved a win and I'm happy and proud of my players, they gave it their all and the lads are the perfect players. ”

As for the stoppage time smash shot, Jiu Shuai said helplessly: "We played in our own way, we controlled the game, but only made a small mistake after 90 minutes, we also missed a penalty, what can I say? It's tough, but it's just the beginning, and that's the lesson of life. They're going to play professional football for 10 or 15 years and sometimes you have to be ready to accept the disappointment. ”

In this game, Djurdjevic only made 2 substitutions, while the opponent Saudi Arabia used 5 substitutions. Regarding this controversy, Djurdjevic reluctantly said: "It's complicated to explain, sorry, but you don't understand this, and I don't want to say anything about this. We were waiting for extra time, we were waiting for another 30 minutes of the game, so we kept some players and we did the calculations.”

As for Liu Chengyu, who missed a penalty and wasted many good opportunities, played the whole game, Jiu Shuai defended his disciple: "We prepared all the situations in advance, and I know the situation on the field well, but I didn't expect him to miss a penalty." Liu Chengyu is a good player and he will be an important part of the Chinese team. He's the first penalty taker, you can't change it, and he's taking the penalty because it's his responsibility. ”

According to a previous report by Sports Weekly, Djurdjevic has signed a four-year contract with the Football Association, and he may also lead the team to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games.