Qatar 2022: no booze, pork or excess body fat key to China’s World Cup hopes, says Li Tie
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Li Tie, the head coach of China’s men’s national football team, has told Chinese state media how he has banned alcohol and pork in an effort to improve the country’s chances of reaching the Fifa World Cup.
In a wide-ranging interview with CCTV Sports’ “Football Night” show on Sunday, the former Everton midfielder also spoke about naturalisation, team bonding and the fitness of his players.
Li explained the habit of forming healthy lifestyles for his players, while the strict disciplinarian said he expected players to take care of themselves on and off the field.
“Players must be disciplined both on and off pitch. There’s no way you drink or get in late to training and still perform well on pitch,” Li said.
“You can’t eat pork or other things that increase body fat. You have to become very healthy. They are players of the national team, and their requirements are there. I always hope to guide them in this regard.”
