The Chinese Football Association made a major announcement! The 52-year-old head coach of the U16 national team has been dismissed, just two months after leading the team to a championship victory and defeating South Korea.

On the evening of July 17, Beijing time, the Chinese Football Association officially announced that, by mutual consent, 52-year-old David Almazan has stepped down as head coach of the China U16 men's team.

The Chinese Football Association thanked Mr. David Almazan and his coaching team for their dedication during their time in charge and expressed hope that he will continue to contribute to the development of Chinese football.

Born on February 12, 1974, David Almazan began his playing career at Barcelona's youth academy and later played for teams such as Zaragoza and Sporting Gijón.

After retiring, he coached in Spain, Puerto Rico, and other countries. In 2020, he came to China and led the Shenhua U19 team to a national championship, nurturing players like Jin Shunkai, Zhu Yue, and Fernando, who later became national-level talents.

In November 2025, David Almazan was officially appointed as the head coach of the national youth team, and as the players have grown older, this now refers to the current China U16 men's team.

At the Montaigu Tournament in April 2026, David Almazan's team finished in 7th place.

In May of this year, during the CFA Friendship Tournament in Hohhot, David Almazan led the U16 national team to a 1-0 victory over Uzbekistan, a 3-2 win against Tajikistan, and a 4-2 triumph over South Korea to claim the title. This U16 squad includes promising talents such as Liu Kaiyuan, Wu Bile, and Yuan Bohan.

Notably, the U16 national team is scheduled to play two friendly matches against Indonesia's U16 team in August this year. With David Almazan suddenly leaving his post, it remains uncertain who will take over as head coach of this U16 team.