September 9: A Two-Way Choice! Henan Coach Daniel Ramos Could Take Charge of Shandong Taishan, Reuniting with Student Cressan, While Zhejiang Joins the Race_Ramos Listed_Ross Aloisi_Daniel Ramos

On September 8, media figure Sun Dexin reported that Shandong Taishan had contacted Henan head coach Daniel Ramos and could work with him next season. Another report on the same day said Zhejiang had also listed Ramos as a candidate for their new manager position. Ramos has led Henan in 54 matches with 21 wins, 14 draws, and 19 losses, a win rate of only 38.9%. The fact that two clubs are still competing for him despite this record has itself become a curious situation.

In the 2026 season, Henan had 26 points after 26 rounds and ranked 12th, but in 2025 they finished 10th in the Chinese Super League, reached the FA Cup final, and Ramos was named the league's Coach of the Year at the end of the year. With the same coach, the cup performances looked like a different team while the league form struggled, leaving fans debating which side Taishan and Zhejiang are actually attracted to.

Taishan's pressure to change coaches comes from actual results. After being eliminated by Shanghai Port in the FA Cup, interim coach Tang Tian was criticized by Shandong media and fans. A 1-1 home draw against Shenzhen Peng City in the league added another layer of dissatisfaction. Media figure Miao Yuan previously revealed that a CSL powerhouse had included Ramos among its coaching candidates, and Sun Dexin later indicated that the club was Taishan.

Ramos took over Henan from Nam Ki-il in April 2025, when the team had earned only seven points from eight rounds. Within half a year, he pulled the relegation-threatened team back to 10th place in the CSL and guided them to the FA Cup final, where they lost 0-3 to Beijing Guoan and finished runners-up. In 2025, he recorded 12 wins, 6 draws, and 9 losses in 27 matches with Henan. After renewing his contract at the end of the year, he won Coach of the Year, giving Taishan a coach without a need for a CSL adjustment period.

The more important personal connection is with Cressan. During the 2020-2021 Portuguese Primeira Liga season at Santa Clara, Ramos was the head coach and Cressan was a player at the club. Media figures including Li Pingkang said the two had a good relationship. If Taishan changes to a foreign coach, Cressan and the manager would not need to start building chemistry from scratch, reducing communication costs in attack.

Henan's 2025 FA Cup run showed their cup competitiveness even without mentioning specific opponents, while their 10th-place league finish indicated average stability in regular-season play. In 2026, Henan were affected by an early six-point deduction and had 26 points after 26 rounds in 12th place, but they recorded away wins over Shanghai Port and Beijing Guoan, showing that high pressure and counterattacking could still trouble strong teams.

Tactically, Ramos favors Portuguese-style fast vertical penetration, emphasizes high pressing, and has ideas in set-piece design. He does not pursue long periods of possession football, instead demanding immediate pressing after losing the ball and quick transitions. Henan could compete against strong teams despite limited resources, and at Taishan, with stronger foreign-player options, his attacking ceiling could be amplified.

The weaknesses are also clear. A 38.9% win rate over 54 matches shows he is not a consistently dominant coach, his approaches are relatively limited, and efficiency declined after opponents studied his methods. If Taishan only uses his high-pressure template without adding tactical variations and squad depth, they could face problems during a multi-front campaign.

For Zhejiang, the current head coach is Ross Aloisi. On July 8, 2026, Zhejiang vice general manager Wu Shaokun said in an interview that management and players had strong trust in Ross, when the team had six wins, four draws, and seven losses after 17 rounds. The club has shown no clear signal of changing coaches, so the idea of Ramos being a candidate appears more like outside speculation.

However, Ross is under real pressure. After replacing Caneda, he changed the team from a three-center-back system to a 4-2-3-1 formation, with fewer goals conceded and better points returns in the first three rounds, but later problems focused on defense. In the 23rd round, Zhejiang led Chengdu Rongcheng 2-0 at home but conceded three straight goals to lose 2-3. After the match, Ross was asked about defensive adjustments and remained silent for dozens of seconds. Zhejiang had conceded 39 goals after 23 rounds, the fourth-highest total in the CSL, and losing leads had become a repeated storyline.

If Zhejiang really changes coaches, Ramos would indeed be attractive. Young players such as Wang Yudong and Zhang Aihui need an attacking system, and Ramos' quick penetration and set-piece methods could create opportunities. However, Zhejiang was still supporting Ross in July, and the contract and salary situation do not look like a decision to bring in Ramos has already been made. Ramos' chances of going to Hangzhou appear lower than going to Jinan.

Ramos renewed his contract with Henan in December 2025. Reports said the deal was for two years with an annual salary of around 11.5 million yuan, and Portuguese media also confirmed the renewal for the new season in the same month. Henan faces wage arrears and financial pressure in 2026 and will not easily release him. Taishan's contact is only an initial step, with compensation fees and negotiation timelines still unavoidable.

Nassario is also a related variable. His contract with Henan expires at the end of 2026, and media discussions suggested that if Ramos moved to Taishan, it could bring about a transfer for the midfielder. However, this is only a secondary rumor, with no club confirmation, and should not be written as an event that has already happened.

If Zhejiang considers Ramos, they would also need to first handle Ross' contract. Ross has a 1+1 contract, Zhejiang expressed trust in him in July, and results came under pressure in August, meaning a real coaching change would involve termination costs. Between the two clubs, Taishan has the more urgent need, while Zhejiang is more of a candidate pool option if they decide to change coaches.

A 38.9% win rate, a cup runner-up finish, and a previous connection with Cressan: with these three labels combined, whether Ramos is a practical choice for Taishan or another foreign coach whose results have been leveled by the CSL remains a topic for debate among fans.