Zhao Dayu, the most classic short-legged tiger in Chinese football so far. Less than 160cm tall, he is the main center of the Guangdong team and the national team, and has given us many wonderful shots and good memories. At noon on the 18th, he died of liver cancer at the age of 55. Short-legged tiger, Principal Zhao, all the way!
Born on January 17, 1961, Zhao Dayu joined the Guangzhou Children's Team at the age of 8, entered the football class of Guangzhou Central Sports School at the age of 13, and was selected for the Guangzhou Football Team in 1978. Due to his stature of less than 160cm, he staged a scene of three in and three out in the national team. Although he is not tall, he plays in the position of a center forward, and his delicate footwork and strong physique are excellent, which often allows Zhao Dayu to find a killing opportunity in the long-standing penalty area. In the 1984 Nehru Gold Cup match between China and Argentina, 4 minutes before the final game, the Chinese team counterattacked quickly on the left side, and Zhao Dayu grabbed the point near the penalty and scored with a low shot with his left foot, which was the first time that the Chinese team had defeated a world powerhouse team since the 80s.
However, due to the involvement of too many materials for the national team at that time, Zeng Xuelin, the manager at the time, finally gave up the short-legged tiger from Guangdong on the eve of the 519 match. Afterwards, Zeng Xuelin's employment was also criticized by fans. In 1986, Zhao Dayu was kicked by Beijing troopers to break his left leg tibia and fibula and was forced to retire.
After returning to China, Zhao Dayu opened a football school, so fans also affectionately called him the principal. Prior to this, Zhao Dayu was a commentator on the Guangzhou competition platform, often sending professional Premier League reviews to everyone in the middle of the night. This illness is also said to be related to long-term drinking and staying up late.
Zhao Dayu's award record
In 1982, he won the Best Scorer Award at the Invitational International Friendship Tournament in Beijing. In 1984, he won the Best Scorer Award in the preliminaries of the 8th Asian Cup. In 1984, he was rated as the New Long March Commando of Guangdong Province, the Model Worker and the New Long March Commando of Guangzhou.
Second from left is Zhao Dayu, who played against the Polish national youth team in the 1984 Great Wall Cup