On that glorious night of November 12, 2020, Jiangsu soccer team defeated Guangzhou by a narrow margin of 2-1 in a thrilling second-round match of the Chinese Super League (CSL) final, lifting the CSL trophy for the first time. At that moment, Gu Chao waved goodbye to the final game of his career on the Chinese Super League stage. Before the joy of winning the championship had fully dissipated, Gu Chao returned to Zhejiang, and his team, after a year's journey in the Central League, finally succeeded in the Super League in January 2023, and Gu Chao was able to return to the coveted Super League.
Referring to this historic moment, Gu Chao was overwhelmed with emotion: "Regardless of the challenges facing the league, as players, we are eager to play in the top league, just as regardless of how much non-sense the outside world on the national football team, as a national footballer, wearing the national team uniforms is always the eternal pursuit of the heart."
In January 2023, Zhejiang won a ticket to the 2022 Chinese Super League season with a victory in the Super League play-offs. On the bus back to Hangzhou, Gu Chao excitedly told reporters, "For me, it was unfortunate that the team was relegated after I left that year. I have always had a wish to return to the Chinese Super League with the team, which is why I returned to Zhejiang. Now, finally the dream has come true."
After Jiangsu won the championship, as a former international player and the team's main goalkeeper, Gu Chao received offers from several clubs, but he chose to return to Zhejiang because he wanted to create another brilliant career with the team that allowed him to stand on the Super League stage for the first time.
When the dream came true, Gu Chao said: "My dream and the team's dream have come true. After returning to Zhejiang, I felt tremendous pressure because the team asked me to come back, surely because they wanted me to help them charge into the Super League, and I couldn't live up to the expectations of the team and the fans. When the moment of the Super League finally came, I was relieved."
Zhejiang's road to the Super League was not a smooth one, and Gu Chao said the toughest stage was the fourth. "We first drew with Guizhou, then lost two consecutive games to Chengdu Rongcheng and Wuhan Sanzhen. Originally, we were confident of going straight to the Super League, but the atmosphere in the team was a bit depressing after these three games, and with three or four one-day competitions and a high density, it was very difficult for us to adjust our mentality." Gu Chao said.
At that time, all the members of the Zhejiang team realized that "the most dangerous period has arrived", if not adjusted, the goal of the Super League may not be achieved.
At this critical moment, Zhejiang's four captains - Cheng Jin, Gu Chao, Dong Yu and Liang Nuoheng - called an emergency meeting with the team to discuss the reasons for the loss in the previous match. The four captains were voted in by the team early last year. After the discussion and their communication with the coaching staff, the team quickly got back on track and ended the season with four consecutive victories, finishing third in the Central League and earning a place in the Super League play-offs.
"We agreed at the time that if we didn't bite the bullet, it would be a foregone conclusion and all our previous efforts would be wasted." Gu Chao said, "So even if Meizhou's final round of league matches ended in an absolute draw and took away the direct Super League spot, all of us were still in a very positive frame of mind to fight for the two Super League play-off matches."
Regarding the "Meizhou draw" incident, Gu Chao said: "Since I have more experience, I told my teammates about my experience and thoughts. I said to my teammates, 'How many times in life can we have such a big game, don't think about anything at this moment, go all out to prepare for the two additional matches and enjoy such a big game, don't let yourself have regrets.'"
Two additional games, Zhejiang team with a total score of 1-0 to get the ticket to the Chinese Super League. On Zhejiang's victory, Gu Chao said, "I think we did a good job of preparation, we all watched the opponent video many times, and grasped the opponent's characteristics very clearly, and the kicking style is also very targeted."
Qingdao team relegated last season, there have been rumors of dissolution, throughout the season, the Central League team "dissolution", "unpaid wages" rumors continue. Talking about this, Gu Chao smiled bitterly and said: "I and Jiangsu teammates often contact, sometimes we will talk about, how can I get back the unpaid wages?"
After the Jiangsu team was disbanded, some players who found their next home suffered another problem of unpaid wages at their new clubs. Gu Chao said, "In comparison, I am more fortunate, Zhejiang team side has been very stable and formal."
Chinese A ball into the trough, investors' investment and players' income have fallen sharply, in this regard, Gu Chao mentality is very good: "I have experienced a good time, but also can accept the current situation, playing football is my profession, I can not change something, can only strive to make themselves better. Players have to adjust their mentality to face all kinds of uncertainties. I'm still looking forward to the future of Chinese soccer, now it seems that players earn less, but maybe more young players will get the chance to play in the league, they can grow up faster, and by the time they can pick up the slack, Chinese soccer may have a new hope."
Gu Chao said that their generation is still insisting on playing soccer, partly because of love, and partly because they want to show hope to young players. "We don't have many years left to play soccer, but they still have many years left, and if we give up, they'll wonder if playing soccer isn't really worth it." Gu said, "We should be good guides for the young players."
Gu Chao has always been an optimistic person, for Chinese soccer, even more so: "I firmly believe that after the bubble is squeezed out, Chinese soccer will rebound, we have to have confidence in the Chinese soccer profession, I firmly believe that there will be a rainbow in the future."
Despite some difficulties in the preparation of the Zhejiang team, Gu Chao is still full of expectations for the new season: "The first season back to the Chinese Super League, I believe we will all treasure it very much, we want to stand firm and get a foothold in the Chinese Super League as soon as possible. For the promoted horse, the league situation is certainly very difficult, I think it is most critical to play a good start, on the one hand, can establish confidence, on the other hand, as soon as possible to grab enough points, can be for relegation or even a good foundation for the next level, so we have to start from the first game to grab points."
Gu Chao has played soccer in Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu, he joked that he is in the "Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai postal zone", because these places are closer to his hometown of Shanghai, when he is on vacation, he will go home to accompany his family and see friends.
In Shanghai, besides his family and friends, Gu Chao is attached to two other mentors, Wu Jingui and Xu Genbao.
After Wu Jingui became Shenhua's head coach again, Gu Chao sent a congratulatory tweet. "It was director Wu who brought me to the Chinese Super League stage, he is my mentor, we always keep in touch." Gu Chao said, "On New Year's festivals, I will send WeChat or SMS greetings." Last year, during the period of bringing Qingdao team, there was a period of time, Wu Jingui's health is not very good, Gu Chao also greeted him.
Xu Genbao is still doing youth training in Chongming Island, every year on the second day of the New Year, Gu Chao and a group of "hair little" to visit him, "Xu director of the lunar birthday, that is, the second day of the New Year. We were all brought up by Mr. Xu, ten or twenty players went together on that day. Mr. Xu's mind is focused on soccer, and he lives a life of hope. He is almost 80 years old, but he doesn't see his actual age at all." Gu Chao said: "Now feel Xu guide amiable more, like a loving father, we are small, he can be strict, loud voice, see him are afraid of ......."
Gu Chao on Chongming Island last year, Xu Genbao specifically asked him whether the Jiangsu team pay, but also joked that "do not buy things, your bonus has not been issued." This little story is widely circulated, became a witness to the deep love between the two master and disciple.
On the second day of the first day of this year, the disciples and to Xu Genbao birthday, the day before the national football team just lost to Vietnam, Xu Genbao said: "The national team lost yesterday, said happy soccer, you say today can be happy? Losing is definitely not happy, but also the first day of the year to lose."
However, Xu Genbao did not scold, just quietly do things, "Xu director now has two teams, one is about to play in the championship, the other is preparing for the National Games. He was catching our age group All-Championship team, and we also got the All-Championship, this time, I look forward to Xu director can bring another All-Championship team out, for Chinese soccer to develop more talent." Gu Chao said.
