On October 20, Xiao Zhi officially waved goodbye to the green field at the age of 39 years, 4 months and 22 days. Had dreamed of crossing the threshold of 40 years old like Li Tongguo, but his soccer career inadvertently drew to a close. However, he has long been mentally prepared for the arrival of this day.
Xiao Zhi embarked on the path to becoming a coach late last fall, attending the A-level class in Chongqing. On July 1 this year, he officially became the assistant of the first team of Guangdong Guangzhou Leopards. Talking about retirement, Xiao Zhi looks very relieved. In the past six months, he has been thinking about how to transition to a new identity for Chinese soccer. Even though he has not yet passed the 40-year-old mark, Xiao Zhi still hides an unfulfilled dream in his heart: "Next year, I want to challenge the Provincial Hong Kong Cup again."
The sports reporter asked curiously, "Xiao Zhi, your soccer career started and ended in Guangzhou, what are your feelings about this?"
Xiao Zhi was overwhelmed with emotion: "Guangzhou, the starting point of my soccer, is also the place where I retired. At the peak of my career, I joined the national team from Guangzhou, and I have a strong bond with this city. Of course, my soccer road began in Luoyang, played in Henan team for nine years, also has a deep affection for his hometown."
The reporter then asked, "Do you intend to play in the Provincial Cup in early January next year?"
Xiao Zhi replied firmly, "Yes, I hope to stand on the field again. Although I've only won the title twice before, I want to try again this year after Guangdong's inconsistent performance. I also scored goals this year and I want to try my luck for another game."
"I remember you said before that you wanted to play until you were 40, but in the end you came up a little short ......," the reporter lamented.
Xiao Zhi responded with a smile, "Indeed, I had the desire to play until I was 40 years old, and even wanted to witness Guangzhou Panthers' promotion from the Central League to the Chinese Super League. But the career of a professional player will end one day. In recent years, I have been thinking about how to transform, for which I have participated in coach training courses. So, when the day of retirement really came, I had already had 2-3 years of preparation and thought about my retirement speech in advance. In fact, I thought about them much earlier. Now, I accept it gladly and face it openly."
Curious, the reporter asked, "A lot of people think that you can mentor young players, especially since you've played a lot this year and scored a lot of goals. What do you think about that?"
Xiao Zhi said thoughtfully, "Indeed, Zhi (Zheng Zhi) and I had this discussion when we retired. As old players, we can act as role models, just like the trend of Japanese players retiring in their forties. But it's not good to occupy the same position for a long time. My personal experience tells me that not many domestic strikers can make it to the national team after standing out in an environment where foreigners are like a cloud. I sympathize with the Chinese strikers who face huge competition from foreigners. Therefore, I want to give more local young players a chance because they have experienced a similar predicament."
"Speaking of which, the Guangzhou Panthers have seen a lot of young talent emerge this year, with 17-year-old Tang Tianyi performing particularly well. Coincidentally, it was he who assisted on your last goal ......," the reporter added.
Xiao Zhi said emotionally, "It's a legacy. Before I retired, I was still young at heart. With the middle generation and young players in the team, I feel that we are still in the same age group. But when I see them on the field, it's as if I see myself back then, and a lot of feelings come up in my heart. I really appreciate the talent of the young players and hope they can develop better, set long-term goals and even have the chance to play in Europe."
"So how will you guide them as an assistant coach on the team?" The reporter asked.
Xiao Zhi replied seriously, "I hope to pass on my more than twenty years of experience and insights to young athletes, guiding them to play the sport correctly and avoiding detours. Our generation has experienced many twists and turns, and the level of effort is not enough. Cultivating a good player is a huge project and every detail cannot be ignored. It does take a long time of hard work to achieve what Son did."
The sports reporter asked, "So what kind of plans do you have for yourself?"
Xiao Zhi said with confidence, "First of all, we have to establish new goals, no matter what we do, we have to have goals. Secondly, keep learning. Modern soccer is developing rapidly, and even if you retire, you have to continue to learn. Just as young players may need to go through 2 to 3 promotions during their growth, as a coach I also need to pursue higher progress, these are mutually reinforcing."
