Is Adelaide United poised to be the club which ends Jiangsu Suning coach Choi Yong-soo’s tenure?

JIANGSU Suning’s under siege coach Choi Yong-soo says he treats every day like it’s his last in the job.

Adelaide United’s Kim Jae-sung heads the ball against Jiangsu Suning in March.

JIANGSU Suning’s under-siege coach Choi Yong-soo says he is treating every day like it’s his last in the job after arriving in Adelaide yesterday, 24 hours later than his squad.

Choi’s AFC Champions League results, where the club is through to the knockout stage before facing Adelaide United at Hindmarsh in the last Group H clash on Tuesday night, is perhaps his only golden road to surviving the axe.

While the rich Suning Commerce Group, which owns Jiangsu and a 70 per cent majority stake of Italian giant Inter Milan where Socceroo Trent Sainsbury was shifted on loan during the FIFA transfer window in January, is sitting dead last in the Chinese Super League after eight rounds, Choi’s job has been in question since last month.

Italian media reported Inter boss Stefano Pioli will take the job from the South Korean FIFA World Cup legend, who won the Asian coach of the year as boss of FC Seoul in 2013, but Choi remained unfazed after meetings held him back a day in China.

Former Leicester City’s English Premier League winning boss Claudio Ranieri and Italian coaching legend Fabio Capello have also been mentioned as potential candidates for Jiangsu.

“There is always stress,’’ Choi said.

Roger Martinez, of China's Jiangsu Suning, is being rested for this clash.

“To be a professional coach I always treat each day like it’s my last day in the position especially our club Suning.

“It’s a big club.

“It’s normal to get stressed and have pressure.” Choi Yong-soo also declared his team arrived in Adelaide without star players Alex Teixeira and Roger Martinez because he wants to keep his key men fresh for the Chinese Super League clash against Shandong Luneng on Sunday.

Brazilian international Ramires also stayed in China, serving a Champions League one-game ban.

“We had some key players injured and we also have some key players that have played many games until this point,’’ said Choi.

“They are also very tired that’s why we want to give them more rest and this weekend we have a very important match in the league of China and we can give some of our other players an opportunity, this is also for them.

“It’s a good chance for them and they must also protect the club in the Asian Champions League. This is a very good stage for them to improve.

“But it doesn’t mean we don’t respect our opponent.”