Soccer-Bilic returns to management with Chinese side Beijing Guoan

Beijing Guoan have appointed former West Bromwich Albion manager Slaven Bilic as their new head coach on a two-year contract to replace Bruno Genesio, the Chinese Super League (CSL) club said on Wednesday. Beijing made the announcement on social media and said they had decided not to renew the contract of Frenchman Genesio, who guided them to third in the CSL and the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League.

Croatian Bilic returns to management less than a month since he was sacked by English Premier League side West Brom following a poor start to the 2020-21 season in which they claimed seven points in 13 games under the 52-year-old. Bilic has vast coaching experience across the world, having managed Lokomotiv Moscow, Besiktas, West Ham United, Al Ittihad and West Brom after a spell with the Croatian national team.

He began his coaching career with Hadjuk Split in 2001 after retiring as a player for the Croatian side a year earlier. Bilic's compatriot and former Royal Antwerp coach Ivan Leko was named the new head coach of former CSL champions Shanghai SIPG last week.

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