The Chinese Football Association was looking to secure a younger generation and native coach for the China National youth teams that included the U-19, 21, 23 Football Teams. Shen accepted the new head coach job and occasionally he would also assist Bora Milutinović who was invited by the Chinese Football Association as the new head coach of the national football team. The U-19 team of Shen Xiangfu was expected to be a very promising generation of Chinese football and in the beginning the team had indeed shown many positive signs. In the end, the team could not qualify the 2004 Summer Olympics and Shen was dismissed.