Unite in ‘improbable’ World Cup run

Marcello Lippi has urged his China team and the nation to pull together to accomplish the “improbable” task of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup before he begins a thorough overhaul of the struggling football program.

The Chinese Football Association formally unveiled Lippi as head coach of China’s Dragons, currently No. 84.

Chinese media reports say Lippi’s three-year contract is worth 20 million euros ($21.8 million) annually and makes him the highest paid national team coach in the world.

“In the qualification stages, our chances are not great, but what we need to do is pull together the entire squad, the CFA, logistics, medical team and maximize our chances and accomplish this improbable mission,” Lippi said.