For professional players, there are many examples of retirement and comeback. Near the "Peter Pan" Robben, far away there is the king maradona, after the comeback have had a stunning performance. This season, in the second division of the Chinese Football Association, there is also a player who has made great contributions to the Chinese national team, that is, Liu Yunfei, a shaanxi warrior who surpasses the player and goalkeeper coach. Returning to the professional league after many years is the most essential love for football and the unfulfilled responsibility that has brought him back to this most familiar green field.
In the Yancheng Division of the 2021 Chinese Football Association Second Division, 42-year-old Liu Yunfei was interviewed as a player and goalkeeper coach. Liu Yunfei said: "I have been away from the professional league for 15 years, choosing to return, I hope to prove myself again. At the same time, share their experience and technology with more young people. Wang Chao, chairman of Shaanxi Warriors Transcendence, once played for the national junior team and the national youth team with me, we played football together since childhood, trusted each other, he was one of the reasons why I joined Shaanxi Warriors Transcendence. Of course, I also hope to have the opportunity to feel the hot football market and enthusiastic fans in Shaanxi. ”
In fact, mentioning Liu Yunfei's name, I believe that many national football fans are not strangers. Liu Yunfei became famous at a young age, and he was once praised by the Japanese national youth team coach as the only goalkeeper who could be compared with Kawaguchi Noh. In the 2001 A League, Liu Yunfei was selected as the best goalkeeper of the league that year. In the semi-final of the 2004 Asian Cup, in the penalty shootout between China and Iran, Liu Yunfei saved the penalty of the Iranian team at a critical moment and helped the Chinese team break into the final and make a great achievement. Since then, Liu Yunfei has gradually faded out of the Chinese professional league. It was not until 2021 that he reappeared in the Chinese Second League.
After the first three rounds of the Chinese Second Division, Liu Yunfei sat on the sidelines as a goalkeeper coach, and when asked when he would be able to stand on the court again, Liu Yunfei said: "When I chose to come back, I was ready to play. But I suffered a leg bone fracture during a training match in January, and after more than two months of conservative treatment, I gained 15 pounds as a result. Now that my leg injury is basically healed, I need time to recover my body and condition. Our team came to Yancheng on May 13th, and on the first day I arrived here, I made up my mind to lose fat, and I was confident that I would appear in the last two stages of the league. ”
In addition to Liu Yunfei, there are three goalkeepers in the Shaanxi Warriors' Overtaking Team, namely Jia Xinyao, 26, Ding Bowei, 25, and Zhang Liangjun, 19. Liu Yunfei said: "I have been a professional player for nearly 20 years, and now I am also a goalkeeper coach, and I feel that the burden on my body is heavier. Because when I was a player before, I only had to be responsible for myself, and now I not only have to maintain my own form, but also have to master the diet, injuries, conditions and psychology of the players every day. I've actually experienced this kind of role change before, and I've brought new people when I've played football before, so I don't lack experience in this area. Jia Xinyao and Ding Bowei have both played as third goalkeepers in the Chinese Super League, but rarely played, this is their first time playing in the Chinese Second League, I hope to use my experience to help them grow. ”
In the course of the conversation, the two words Liu Yunfei said the most were "prove yourself" and "social responsibility". Indeed, as a 42-year-old veteran, Liu Yunfei has had glory and loss. During the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020, Liu Yunfei made his own contribution to the local epidemic prevention work as a community volunteer. "Thanks to the fans and friends who have supported me over the years, I chose to make this comeback to prove myself to my family, friends and fans. I Liu Yunfei appeared in front of the public with a positive energy. Liu Yunfei's eyes were confident and firm.
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At the end of the interview, Liu Yunfei said: "Chinese football youth training still has a long way to go, especially the training of goalkeepers, which should be paid more and more attention. I have inspected the current situation of youth training across the country and established a comprehensive training base for goalkeepers in Shenzhen, hoping to train a national goalkeeper in the near future. I want to do something practical for the development of Chinese football. ”