Beijing: With less than five months until AFC Women’s Asian Cup Jordan 2018, eight-time winners China PR have appointed Jiangsu FC’s Icelandic boss Sigurður Ragnar Eyjólfsson as the new women’s national team head coach.
Eyjólfsson, a former boss of the Iceland women’s national team, replaces Frenchman Bruno Bini, who had held the position since 2015 and will remain involved as a technical consultant.
A former professional with playing experience in Iceland, England and Belgium, Eyjólfsson took charge of Iceland from 2006 to 2013, and became the first coach to guide the nation to the UEFA Women’s Championship finals in 2009.
He bettered the achievement four years later, as Iceland reached the European quarter-finals for the first and only time in 2013, before taking up roles with men’s club teams in Iceland and Norway.
Earlier this year, Eyjólfsson moved to China to become head coach of the Jiangsu FC women’s team, a move which has culminated in his appointment as national team head coach.
The 43-year-old will be joined by Chinese football royalty in 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup Golden Boot winner and China’s all-time top scorer Sun Wen, who will join the Steel Roses set-up as an assistant coach.
Eyjólfsson has just over a week to prepare for his first match in charge, with China to travel to Australia for two friendly matches against the Matildas, with the first to be held in Melbourne on November 22..
China’s busy schedule continues into December, with the EAFF Championship in Japan while they will discover their AFC Women’s Asian Cup opponents at the official draw on December 9 ahead of next April’s tournament.
Photo: AFP
Source: the-afc.com