Jimmy's coming home to win more matches

[Fuzzman]

Jim McGuinness takes assistant role to Roger Schmidt in China
Former Donegal manager leaves Celtic to join former Bayer Leverkusen coach in Beijing by Keith Duggan

Former Donegal senior football manager Jim McGuinness has accepted a position as assistant coach with Chinese club Beijing Sinobo Guoan.

He was offered the post by Roger Schmidt, the former Bayer Leverkusen manager who was announced as Beijing's new manager early in June. McGuinness, who has been part of the coaching staff at Glasgow Celtic since 2012, will travel to Beijing on Saturday to take up his new role on Monday.

"It's a fantastic opportunity," he said yesterday. "It's a level up for me and a great honour to be asked. Roger is a really prestigious European coach and just to be part of his management team is a great privilege. I also feel that it's great timing in terms of taking the next step forward in my own coaching career.

"In terms of Celtic, every decision that was made was with their knowledge. Dermot Desmond, in particular, was implicit in any decision made. And I'd like to think that the umbilical cord won't be cut. Everyone in the club has been hugely supportive and hopefully I will return there someday as a better coach."

He has agreed a two-and-a-half year contract with Beijing, which is the period for which Schmidt has agreed terms. The offer came out of the blue but McGuinness had met with the German on several occasions over the past two years after being invited to Leverkusen by one of the club psychologists he met in Bilbao two summers ago.

"I happened to mention that I found Leverkusen's style of play very interesting as Roger was one of the coaches whose approach I was studying very closely. And then we met at one of their Champions League games. And he was very generous with his time. He gave me a few hours on the afternoon of the game

Intensity

"They were one of the few football teams that play very direct and intense football predicated on intensity. It is about asking questions of the opposition and trying to overwhelm them and never allowing them to settle. And I was drawn to that. We stayed in touch through email.

"Then I got a text from Roger at the beginning of the summer to say he was going to be in Dublin to meet a sports firm. We met in the airport in Dublin and spent a few hours ahead of his flight to Germany and he walked me through his game plan and style of play. We just had a really good conversation. I feel that we think similarly and share core principles.

"And at the end he asked me to show him Gaelic football because he was curious about it. So we watched the highlights of the 2012 final [when McGuinness's Donegal beat Mayo 2-11 to 0-13]. The chat was very positive and strong and gravitated towards maybe some time we can work together. And then last week, I got a phone call asking if I would be interested."

Beijing Guoan won the Chinese Super League for the only time in 2009 and were runners-up in 2014. They play in the 66,000 seat Workers' Stadium and are among the 16 clubs who feature in a league that has begun to attract high-profile players and managers from Europe.
Sacking

They are currently sitting seventh in the Super League, after an underwhelming opening which led to the sacking of Jose Gonzalez and the appointment of Schmidt.

For McGuinness, this is the latest chapter of what has been a rapid ascent through the world of sports coaching since he took charge of the Donegal under-21 team ahead of the 2010 campaign. That team finished as runners-up in the All-Ireland final to Jim Gavin's Dublin. McGuinness was appointed as senior manager in the autumn of 2010.

When he stepped down four years later, Donegal had won the 2012 All-Ireland and three Ulster titles with a style of play which had a radical influence on the game in general.
Surreal

McGuinness was offered a role with Celtic in 2012. He originally worked as a psychology coach but was coaching Celtic's under-20 team this season. He has retained his association with Gaelic games through his work as a championship analyst, including a weekly column with The Irish Times which he intends to continue throughout this year's championship.

"It is kind of surreal," he said of this latest appointment. "But it does feel like part of that original journey with Donegal because anything that has happened was borne out of that energy that started with the under-21s. And there is no separation there.

"And I am incredibly thankful for that. In fact, one of the reasons that this was an easy decision for me is that Beijing wear green and gold and the number 1992 is on their club crest. So some stars have to be aligning there."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Huge career move for Jim and I am shocked tbh as I know him, his wife & kids and am surprised they're all leaving dear old Donegal. It was a lot easier to travel from Glasgow to Glenties for them but to move to China is huge. Congrats Jim

[Maroon Manc]

Thats some work by McGuiness to get a move like that as an assistant manager in a sport he's relatively new too and has little experience off. A huge gamble by Schmidt but financially its probably a fantastic opportunity for McGuiness.

[yellowcard]

Nothing would surprise me with McGuinness, I think its another step to top level football management which would be an incredible achievement should he ever get there given his background. Probably on a nice financial package to up roots and relocate to China too. Hopefully he does well and comes back ready for management. Probably the greatest ever revolutionary manager in GAA.

[Itchy]

He is gone to China lads not Chelsea.

[J70]

Fair f**ks to Jim. For someone who had to go back to school to get his leaving cert in his 20s to build the career he has, in an alternate sport, no less, is amazing. Just shows you what some intelligence, belief and balls can achieve. Best of luck to him. Professional sports is cut throat and nothing is guaranteed, but at least he should end up fairly comfortable, financially, from this move. Hope the cultural divide is not an issue.

[J70]

He is gone to China lads not Chelsea.

From Celtic.

We're not talking Letterkenny Rovers or even Finn Harps here.

[Hardy]

Should this be in the non-GAA section?

[seafoid]

Soccer management is a ruthless business. I hope they keep winning.

[PW Nally]

Does Glenties even have a soccer team?

[Syferus]

He is gone to China lads not Chelsea.

From Celtic.

We're not talking Letterkenny Rovers or even Finn Harps here.

It's a massive step down in terms of level. The only benefit would be it's more a hands on coaching role with an adult team. But I'd question if anyone is going to value someone coaching in a Chinese league anyways.

I don't imagine the money is too bad but an unknown assistant coach isn't going to be raking in cash in a league where the non-import players are getting a pittance. You'd have to pay me a hell of a lot to take a job in China.

[J70]

He is gone to China lads not Chelsea.

From Celtic.

We're not talking Letterkenny Rovers or even Finn Harps here.

It's a massive step down in terms of level. The only benefit would be it's more a hands on coaching role with an adult team. But I'd question if anyone is going to value someone coaching in a Chinese league anyways.

I don't imagine the money is too bad but an unknown assistant coach isn't going to be raking in cash in a league where the non-import players are getting a pittance. You'd have to pay me a hell of a lot to take a job in China.

Im sure he IS getting a fair whack of cash or he'd have a hard time convincing the wife to uproot all for a couple of years.

And it might be a step down in terms of senior soccer, but McGuinness has been coaching U-20s, and also has the chance to work hand in hand with a Bundesliga-level manager. I doubt if Jim thinks he is going to succeed Brendan Rodgers on account of this. More a case of building the CV in anticipation of getting on the first team staff somewhere.

[BennyCake]

Are there direct flights from Donegal airport to China?

[GalwayBayBoy]

This lot have had 9 managers in 5 years so his stay there might be a short enough one.

[J70]

This lot have had 9 managers in 5 years so his stay there might be a short enough one.

At least he'd have his contract paid out!

[Syferus]

He is gone to China lads not Chelsea.

From Celtic.

We're not talking Letterkenny Rovers or even Finn Harps here.

It's a massive step down in terms of level. The only benefit would be it's more a hands on coaching role with an adult team. But I'd question if anyone is going to value someone coaching in a Chinese league anyways.

I don't imagine the money is too bad but an unknown assistant coach isn't going to be raking in cash in a league where the non-import players are getting a pittance. You'd have to pay me a hell of a lot to take a job in China.

Im sure he IS getting a fair whack of cash or he'd have a hard time convincing the wife to uproot all for a couple of years.

And it might be a step down in terms of senior soccer, but McGuinness has been coaching U-20s, and also has the chance to work hand in hand with a Bundesliga-level manager. I doubt if Jim thinks he is going to succeed Brendan Rodgers on account of this. More a case of building the CV in anticipation of getting on the first team staff somewhere.

Unknown coaches aren't going to make much in the Chinese league. Enough, I assume, but from the looks of things Jim is horny to work with Schmidt because he sees a crossover between how he approaches coaching and how he likes to do it himself.

Whatever the amount the change in quality of life and lack of home comforts are something so few consider properly - many of the foreign players who have went to China didn't last long because of those reasons and you can be sure they were on a lot more than Jim.

Good luck to him, but no one here has any interest in the Chinese league or lower league football at all so it's hard to have much investment in this move.