Reporter Chen Yong reported that with the 2021 season of Shandong Taishan winning the Chinese Super League, the players also won their first, second or third championships. In this team, the third time to win the championship is Zhang Chi and Zheng Zheng, Zhang Chi entered the first team in 2007, and Zheng Zheng entered the first team in 2008, and they both won three Chinese Super League titles in the 2008, 2010 and 2021 seasons. On January 4, 2022, two captains, Fellaini and Zheng Zheng, also received the championship trophy from the chinese football association president Chen Shuyuan and held it aloft.
◆ "Football": Let's first talk about how you felt at the moment of winning the championship, although this is not the first time you have won the Chinese Super League championship.
Zheng Zheng: In fact, the moment of winning the championship is still relatively calm, not that it has won the championship before, but before winning the championship, the situation is already relatively clear, not the kind of situation that must be decided to win or lose until the last game, and the situation of deciding the championship. Of course, it is natural to be happy and relieved, after all, this is our first league title in 11 years, a championship that we have worked hard together as a club and a team, and a championship that all fans are looking forward to.
◆What was the mood when I won the championship in 2010?
In fact, that time to win the championship is still a little regret, although I have been playing that season, but the final stage was transferred by the national Olympic team to play the Asian Games, so the next few games and the final championship ceremony, I was not able to participate, can only watch my teammates in front of the TV to participate in the award ceremony and celebration, at that time was still very envious.
◆ Now you can finally lift this trophy, this is your third championship, in 2008 you won the championship with the team.
Yeah, it was my first championship, but I was still a young player, and I had just been promoted to the first team, and I remember clearly, when I was with Gaudí in the national youth team, when I came back, I was notified to be promoted to the first team and started to follow the team in Maojiawan. That year the game did not play, just watch the big brothers win the championship, very happy, but the sense of participation is not too strong, in fact, that year we won the championship is still some twists and turns, including the national Olympic team once also drew a lot of team members, it is not easy.
◆ "Soccer": The 2010 season is also your first professional season, your first game is the AFC Champions League, or the first game of the season for Tarzan, you directly entered the starting lineup, and the performance was very good.
Zheng Zheng: Yes, at that time, it was Pohang Iron, we fought away, although we lost 0-1, but actually played well, and finally there was a penalty that was not scored, otherwise it was likely to get points. My professional debut is the AFC Champions League, the task is still quite arduous, there are still some trepidation before the game, but really playing, it does not feel so difficult, maybe the physical and mental preparation is also ready, as a young player, I think my performance is quite OK.
◆ Feel that you have played in an abnormal way for so many years, and have been very stable?
In fact, I also have times when I don't play well, any player will have it, but overall it is still stable, it is a passing line up.
◆ What is the reason for this stability? Mental stability? In fact, many players are unstable.
In fact, the performance has ups and downs or is related to the schedule format, mainly when there are three games a week, especially when there is the AFC Champions League, it feels uncomfortable to play, the schedule is dense, the travel time is also very long, and it has an impact on the body and mentality. In some countries, you go out to play games, you may take an hour's bus to arrive, but we only get to the high-speed rail station or the airport in an hour, especially to play the AFC Champions League, it is too difficult, sometimes from Jinan to Beijing, and then from Beijing to foreign countries, sometimes you have to take a bus for several hours, most of the day or even a day on the road. If it's a normal game, then naturally no problem.
◆ Some players will be nervous or excited before the game, or even sleep badly, do you have a similar situation?
I didn't, I slept soundly, I wasn't excited, I wasn't worried or resistant. In fact, for me, playing a game is not nervous, watching a game is nervous. In addition, it is the peace of mind, if there is a problem with your own performance, try your best to adjust it, including treating the voices of the outside world, but also to look at it objectively and peacefully.
◆ There is work under the feet, and there is a bottom in the heart. Is this stability related to your good technology?
There may also be some relationships, the main thing is that my running ability is not very strong, then in other aspects must be strengthened, the sense of ball and the like must be practiced well.
◆ How do you practice it?
Maybe it is the reason why I practiced football earlier, I was exposed to football at the age of 6, I was playing in the Golden Crown Club at that time, and the enlightenment coaches Xiao Jian and Han Tongjiang cut our technical details very carefully, and later in the Luneng Football School, it was also the case, but to be honest, there is still some gap between our basic skills and the older ones. In 1999, I went to Luneng Football School, when Shandong Taishan team won the double championship, we have been in the football school for a month or two, and I was deeply impressed by that double.
◆ "Football": What do you think of Shandong Taishan in the past decade of Jinyuan football era?
Zheng Zheng: We also once brought in relatively good foreign aid and excellent coaches, but there may be some gaps compared with teams such as Guangzhou, and sometimes there may be some lack of luck, but we are still competitive. Of course, our input is indeed inferior to theirs, and the input and output are basically proportional. I have seen a report that our investment in the past decade is also the ninth and tenth in the Chinese Super League, I don't know if this data is accurate, but investment is also another reflection of strength. I think our club has always been very stable, of course, there are also periods when coaches change more frequently, once the coach is changed, the playing style is changed, the lineup is changed, the partner is changed, and it will actually have an impact on us.
◆ In the 2016 season, Taishan team qualified from the AFC Champions League group to advance to the quarterfinals, and in the 2019 season, Taishan team was the best Chinese Super League team in the AFC Champions League group, and finally lost the penalty kick in the knockout match, what do you think of these two experiences?
In the second leg of the 2016 quarter-final elimination of the Australian team, when the third brother (Arthur Joon Min) scored a goal, after that game I was injured in training, and then went to Germany for treatment, so it is a pity that I did not win the quarterfinals. Including that year when the league suddenly entered the relegation circle, I was also anxious. So I say it's a lot more intense to watch than to play. At that time, our squad was still a little insufficient in the face of two-front combat, and the adjustment was not done well. In 2019, we played very well in the AFC Champions League, the knockout round and the Guangzhou team were also very tense, and the last penalty failed to qualify, and it was also a lack of luck, and we performed much more stably in the league that year.
◆ Football: How do you feel about playing from left-back to centre-back?
Zheng Zheng: I used to play basically at left-back, but the centre-back also played occasionally, including in the Olympic Games, and later in the club cameo, and when I was young, when I was in the national team, we also played three centre-backs, in this case I went to play left-centre-back.
◆ The game of playing the harbor is very familiar with the three center-backs, right?
It's definitely no problem, we guys have played a lot of games, including our teammates, and the adaptability is no problem, just do it according to the requirements of the coach, and we have experience in this area.
◆ Have you partnered with Shi Ke before?
I have not really partnered before, and Shi Ke is paired, the mobility of our two is still relatively strong, and there is also tacit understanding in handling the ball, although I have not partnered before, but this year I have cooperated, I still feel very good.
◆ Stylistically, both of you are very well-rounded.
The two of us are more on the right path, and we can kick together. In addition, Hao Dao also has requirements for the ball of our center-back, and we are trying to play according to the coach's arrangement.
◆ How did You feel after Jia Desong came?
His hardness, his interception, his headers, really reflect the strength of a foreign aid, he also has a lot of mobility, he also handles key balls in front of goal very well, and his scoring ability also helps the team a lot.
◆ This year, Taishan team conceded fewer goals, as a defender, is it more proud?
How to say it, good defense is always the result of the joint efforts of everyone on a team. You can also see that when the team is defending, Guo Tianyu often comes back, Fellaini often retreats, Sun Zhunhao and Moises are very active, including the full-backs also have strong defensive ability, round-trip ability and defensive awareness, not to mention the running ability of the entire team.
As defenders, we have been under a lot of pressure over the years, and it has not been easy to face those world-class strikers in previous years, even last year, sometimes feeling that the pressure is still very high. But again, football is a team sport, so is defense, and our team is comforting. Of course, stress can actually make us learn better and make greater progress.