On October 20, Xiao Zhi, at the tipping point towards the 40-year-old mark, officially drew the end of his career at the age of 39 years, 4 months and 22 days. He had envisioned that he could follow the example of South Korea's famous Lee Tongguk and extend his soccer career to 40 years old, but the reality was not as he wished. However, for the arrival of this day, Xiao Zhi has long been mentally prepared.
Early last winter, Xiao Zhi has embarked on the road of transition, traveling to Chongqing to participate in the training of A-level class for coaches. On July 1 this year, he officially became the assistant coach of the first team of Guangdong Guangzhou Leopard. Talking about retirement, Xiao Zhi appeared relieved, the past six months, he has been thinking about how to add bricks and mortar to our country's soccer career in a new capacity. Surprisingly, despite being close to forty, Xiao Zhi still harbors an unfinished wish: "Next year, I still want to challenge the Provincial Hong Kong Cup."
A sports reporter curiously asked, "Xiao Zhi, your soccer career began in Guangzhou, and now it's drawing to a close in Guangzhou, how do you feel about that?"
Xiao Zhi lamented: "Guangzhou, is the first station where I left my hometown to embark on the journey of soccer, but also the end of my career. Here, I spent my most brilliant moments, entered the national team, and bonded with the city. Of course, I started learning soccer in Luoyang and played for Henan for nine years, and I have the same deep affection for my hometown."
He revealed that he hopes to compete in the Provincial Cup again in early January next year. Despite having participated many times before and won only two championships, he hopes to build on the fluctuating performance of the Guangdong team this year. In addition, he has scored goals this year, and he intends to give it one more try and try to step onto the pitch again.
The reporter brought up the fact that he had expressed his wish to play until the age of 40 a few years ago, but ultimately failed to do so, Xiao Zhi said: "I did have such an intention, I hope to play until the age of 40, or as a player to witness the Guangzhou Panthers from the Central League to the Chinese Super League. However, as a professional player, the time to retire will come eventually. In recent years, I have been thinking about how to make the transition and prepare myself for that. So, when that day actually comes, I have had 2-3 years of advance preparation to continuously think about my retirement speech. In fact, I started thinking about them much earlier. Now, I accept it gladly and openly."
Curious, the reporter asked, "A lot of people think that you can mentor young players, especially since you've played quite a bit this year and scored a few goals. What are your thoughts on that?"
Xiao Zhi responded, "Indeed, Zhi and I (Zheng Zhi) had discussed this issue when we retired. As veteran players, we can play an exemplary role, just like in Japan where there are many players who retire in their forties, which is a trend. But from another perspective, occupying the same position for a long time is not a good thing. My personal experience tells me that there are not many domestic strikers who can stand out in an environment where there is a lot of competition from foreigners. I sympathize with the plight that Chinese strikers are facing and hope that they will be given more opportunities because I know their situation well!"
The reporter mentioned the young talent emerging from Guangzhou Panthers this year, especially the outstanding performance of 17-year-old striker Tang Tianyi, and mentioned that Xiao Zhi's last goal was assisted by him. Xiao Zhi said, "I think it's a legacy. Before I retired, I was still young at heart. With the middle generation and young players, it feels like 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 after a long time, I have a lot of feelings in my heart. Deep down I still appreciate the talent of the young players, and I hope they can develop better, set long-term goals and have the opportunity to play in Europe."
The reporter asked, "So how will you guide them as an assistant coach on the team?"
Xiao Zhi said he hopes to pass on his experiences and insights of more than two decades to young athletes, gradually guiding them to engage in the sport correctly to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. He pointed out that his 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 must be emphasized. It does take a long time of hard work to reach the success that Son has had.
The sports reporter asked, "So what kind of plans do you have for yourself?"
Shaw replied, "The first thing to do is to set new goals, no matter what you do. Secondly, you have to keep learning. Modern soccer is developing rapidly, and even after retirement you have to continue to learn. Just as young players may need to go through 2 or 3 promotions during their growth, as a coach I need to pursue higher progress as well, and these are all mutually reinforcing."
