Gao Hongbo

Gao Hongbo (born January 25, 1966, in Beijing) is a Chinese professional football manager and former player who played as a striker.

A talented youngster he would then join the Beijing Youth Football Team in 1981 where after several years he would be promoted to the senior Beijing team (now Beijing Guoan) in 1985.

With them he would gradually establish himself within the team, yet it wasn't until Beijing were in the second tier and won promotion in 1990 that Gao Hongbo would rise to prominence.

Once in the top tier, his career would flourish and by the early 1990s Gao had become an integral member within the team where he would personally win the golden ball and golden boot award despite not winning a major trophy.

He would make his senior debut on April 4, 1992, as a substitute in a friendly against USA in a game where China lost 5–0 to achieve their biggest recorded defeat.

Despite the defeat he would still be included in the squad that took part in qualification for the 1992 AFC Asian Cup where he even scored his debut goal against Malaysia on April 23, 1992.

In 1994, he left the team to play in Singapore for Tiong Bahru CSC citing the difficulty to pass the physical standard test of the Chinese Football Association.

After winning the best scorer in Singapore's FAS Premier League with Tiong Bahru in 1994, Gao Hongbo would return to the newly formed fully professional Beijing Guoan club and would immediately make in impact when he scored 21 times in the following two years.

When China qualified he would be included in the squad that would come third in the tournament, however it was in the 1994 qualification process for the World Cup that saw Gao Hongbo establish himself as a prominent member of the Chinese squad but despite his best efforts he was unable to help them qualify.

After winning the Chinese FA Cup in 1996, he left Beijing Guoan and would join Guangzhou Songri in the second tier where he would reteam with previous coach Xu Genbao and help the club win promotion to the top tier in 1997 when he led the league in scoring with 18 goals.

After several years out of the team, new manager Bobby Houghton would bring Gao back in to play several friendlies and a World Cup Qualifier against Vietnam that China won 3–1 on May 25, 1997, which was to be his last game before he retired.

Xu Genbao would appoint Gao Hongbo as his assistant player coach when he signed him in the 1997 league season before he left the team to coach the defending champions Dalian Wanda.

In 1998, he started his coaching career with several Chinese clubs.

Already offered an assistant coach position at the club before the 1998 league season he would officially retire from playing when the season finished.

The next season saw him replaced by Edson Tavares and Gao remain as his assistant; however, Aristeu Tavares left Guangzhou Songri at the end of the 1998 league season and Gao Hongbo went on to succeed him as the head coach of the team at the beginning of the 1999 league season at the age of 33.

He would, however quickly run into trouble with his players and would leave the club after only 11 matches despite having a decent start to the season and he would go abroad to study coaching.

He studied in several clubs in London and Southampton, and his long-time teammate Yang Chen invited him to study in Germany as well.

After several months of studying, Gao Hongbo was appointed the coach of the national U-17 team.

Although the team eliminated South Korea despite of Koreaphobia and qualified from group stage in the AFC U-17 Championship 2000, the 1–7 defeat to Japan essentially ended his job.

After the game, Gao Hongbo resigned from the national post and returned to help Xu Genbao in coaching Shanghai Zhongyuan.

He was also an assistant of Dutchman Arie Haan in the China national team between 2002 and 2004.

This duo again won the promotion to Jia A and left the club together in 2002.

Gao Hongbo worked as an assistant coach in the national team between 2003 and 2004.

After Wu Jingui, the coach of the new champion Shanghai Shenhua, was introduced to the national team, he left the team to coach Xiamen Hongshi.

Gao Hongbo's career in Xiamen was a surprising success and he was able to transform Xiamen Hongshi into potential promotion contenders when he was able to take them to third within 2004 second tier.

The following season would see them actually win the table and promotion into the 2005 Chinese Super League.

Gao made a big achievement as a coach in 2007, as he led Changchun Yatai to take the title of the CSL.

He led Changchun Yatai as League Champions in 2007.

Gao was dismissed by Changchun in 2008 as the club struggled to repeat their form of the previous season.

He previously managed the China national football team from 2009 to 2011, and in 2016.

Appointed in May 2009, Gao became the youngest man to take the helm in 30 years.

He currently serves as the a vice-chairman of the Chinese Football Association.

Gao was a big name in his professional life as a footballer.

Nicknamed Albert Einstein on the pitch, he was a prolific second striker who was famous for his agility in the box and fine ability in finishing.

In April 2009, he became the head coach of the China national team but was sacked in August 2011 and replaced by José Antonio Camacho.

On April 16, 2009, Gao signed a contract as Head Coach from the China national football team.

Serbian Vladimir Petrovic was the last full-time coach but his contract was not renewed after China was eliminated from the qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Gao is the first China national team coach that was chosen through an open selection process, which included four other candidates: Wu Jingui (former Shanghai Shenghua coach), Yin Tiesheng (previous temporary caretaker manager) and Shen Xiangfu (under-23 team coach).

Gao returned as the head coach of the national team in February 2016.

Born in a Hui family in Beijing, Gao was discovered and coached by Xu Genbao in the Beijing sports school.