Football has many loyal fans in China, including die-hard fans who have a special affection for the national team and its players. In the hearts of these fans, Fan Zhiyi is undoubtedly the most high-profile and charismatic member. The striker, who has made great contributions to the national football team, will now return to his coaching position and lead Liaoning Iron Man to impact the dream of the Chinese Super League, which has aroused widespread attention and expectations from fans.
Looking back on Fan Zhiyi's football career, his most glorious moment was scoring for the national team at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, helping the team reach the round of 16. As a representative star of the new century of Chinese football, he has twice won the Asian Footballer of the Year award. On the field, he is the team's killer center; Off the field, his witty and humorous words are hilarious from time to time. The former international player, affectionately known as "General Fan" by fans, has used his football career to interpret a persistent pursuit of his career and a pure love for football.
However, shortly after Pham Zhiyi retired, his good image seemed to be diluted by a "prophetic" phrase - "lose Thailand to Vietnam, lose Vietnam to Myanmar, and then not lose". This seemingly unintentional joke accurately predicted the dilemma that the national football team fell into after 2010, and was once considered a ruthless ridicule and helpless complaint against the national football team. Until recent years, Fan Zhiyi started his "second spring", he starred in a number of variety shows, and his usual humor once again convinced the audience, and also made him a well-known "entertainment star" again.
When Fan Zhiyi's football career and entertainment career are fading away, a new opportunity beckons to him. On April 7, 2023, Liaoning Ironman Club made a major decision: to fire head coach Gao Mingqi and team leader Duan Xin, and revealed that former international player Fan Zhiyi will take up the position of new coach.
The news immediately caused an uproar in the football world. Some people applauded enthusiastically, expecting Fan Zhiyi to bring new vitality to Liaoning Iron Man; Others questioned whether it was too late for him to be in charge after 14 years without coaching. However, Fan Zhiyi himself showed full confidence in an interview: "At the opportunity of Liaoning's football restructuring to seek a new take-off, I am willing to use what I have learned and my football resources to help Liaoning Football rebuild its glory." As a former member of the national team, everyone can see my complex, and my belief has never changed. "
Indeed, from the teaching philosophy of Fan Zhiyi when he coached Shanghai East Asia, he focused on the love and devotion of the players to football, rather than just pursuing tactics and strategies. A player once described Fan Zhiyi as follows: "He never uses a lot of technical terms to preach, but he will use simple language to instill in us the spirit of perseverance and hard work." He is like a strict teacher, like a dear friend, and a great teacher. "
Perhaps, it is this "mentor" style and football feelings that make Fan Zhiyi full of confidence in re-coaching the club team. However, we also need to be clear that returning to the field after 14 years will not be easy. The tactical system and training concept of modern football have undergone earth-shaking changes, and Fan Zhiyi needs to re-learn, absorb new knowledge, and familiarize himself with the existing player lineup of Liaoning Iron Man.
Fan Zhiyi also has a clear understanding of this: "I know that I have to re-learn and keep learning. I quit my job at CCTV in order to devote all my energy to Liaozu, and I will cherish this opportunity to learn. It can be said that Fan Zhiyi, who has the title of "Stadium Fighter" when he was a professional player, has interpreted the professional ethics of "never stopping, lifelong learning" with his own actions.
So, in the face of the re-opening of his coaching career in middle age, what kind of new injection will Fan Zhiyi give to Liaoning Iron Man? We might as well look for some clues from the mouths of the Shanghai East Asian players he coached.
"Coach Fan focuses on how much we love football, and he believes that only by loving the sport can we devote ourselves to the game. Jiang Zhipeng, a striker from Shanghai East Asia, said, "He is not a person who likes to preach, but infects us with affinity and a sense of humor." On the training ground, he's more of a mentor than a stern coach. "
"Coach Fan is not only pursuing tactics and strategies, but also pays more attention to our high morale and perseverance. Another former player, Ahn Hyun-mo, added, "He never preaches in a lot of jargon, but he instills this spiritual quality in simple language." In that regard, he was a great teacher and mentor. "
From the description of the players, we may be able to speculate about Fan Zhiyi's future coaching style at Liaoning Iron Man. He is not a coach who emphasizes rigid tactics, but pays more attention to the fun of football and the overall quality of players. In his opinion, hard work on the pitch has always been the most important quality, and he hopes to infect players with affinity and humor rather than boring theoretical preaching.
Will this teaching style also become Fan Zhiyi's way of coaching in Liaoning Iron Man? After all, a team that overtakes needs tactical guidance, but it also needs to boost morale and confidence. And Fan Zhiyi, who has the spirit of a "general", may be the best spokesperson for this spiritual force.
Of course, you can't win on the field with just one passion. Fan Zhiyi's coaching team will be an important part of whether he can achieve initial results. Fortunately, in the official news, senior assistant coaches Sun Wei and Xiao Zhanbo will play alongside Fan Zhiyi to make up for his lack of experience in leaving the coaching position for a long time.
Sun Wei was once a "veteran" with rich coaching experience in Chinese football, he not only served in many Chinese Super League teams, but also served as the assistant coach of the national team for many years. With his solid tactical skills and management experience, Sun Wei will undoubtedly become an important assistant to Fan Zhiyi, helping him to grasp the many changes in modern football as soon as possible.
And Xiao Zhanbo is also an experienced assistant coach. He has not only served in many teams in the Chinese Super League, but also participated in many major tournaments with the Chinese national team. With his deep connections and understanding of the Chinese professional league, Xiao Zhanbo will become an indispensable "intelligence officer" and "liaison officer" for Fan Zhiyi's team in the future.
With such an experienced coaching team in charge, Fan Zhiyi's return to coaching may have a relatively smooth start. However, in order to truly lead Liaoning Iron Man to achieve the goal of surpassing, there are still many challenges to face.
First of all, Fan Zhiyi needs to understand and familiarize himself with the existing Liaoning Iron Man player lineup as soon as possible. To get the most out of each player and develop tactical understanding, this is the basic task that any team must complete. On the other hand, in the face of the fierce rush schedule, the physical reserves and state management of the players will also test the strategic planning of Fan Zhiyi and other coaching staff.
Secondly, the high-intensity confrontation of the Chinese Super League team will also be a big test for Fan Zhiyi. Although he was once an international player, Liaoning Iron Man is not a national team after all, and if he wants to fight his way out of this "bear sin forest", he needs superb tactical layout and on-the-spot command ability. From this point of view, whether Fan Zhiyi can control the overall situation at a critical moment will directly determine the fate of Liaoning Iron Man.
Moreover, as an atypical team, Liaoning Ironman's special team environment may also bring some unexpected situations to Fan Zhiyi. As a football club in Liaoning Province, the operation and management of the club will be more or less affected by external factors, which will be a big test for the unity of the coaching staff. How to stabilize the team's atmosphere under internal and external attacks, Fan Zhiyi also needs to pay additional management and control wisdom.
In the end, in the final analysis, the biggest challenge for Fan Zhiyi to return to the coaching position comes from his own 14-year "vacuum period". Modern football is constantly changing and evolving at an unprecedented rate, from tactical concepts to training methods, from data analysis to physical support, Fan Zhiyi needs to relearn and absorb in a limited time. This is undoubtedly a huge test for an "old fan" who is over half a hundred years old.
However, Fan Zhiyi himself seems to have a clear understanding of this. In an interview, he admitted that he needed to "re-learn and keep learning" and vowed to "devote all his energy to Liaozu". From this determination, we see the football feelings and professional ethics precipitated by the former international "general".
Perhaps, it is this hard work of not admitting defeat and persistent love for football that will become the biggest driving force to support Fan Zhiyi's counterattack. After all, during his 14-year absence, he never really "parted" with football. Through serving as a guest commentator and variety shows, Fan Zhiyi has been paying attention to and being keen on football in his own way.
Therefore, we have reason to believe that Fan Zhiyi's return to coaching is not a whim, but out of his persistent pursuit of football. In the face of many challenges, he will definitely create a new chapter of his own with his football feelings and pure enthusiasm on the field.
As a regional team, when will the Liaoning Iron Man regain its glory, and will Fan Zhiyi finally overcome the test of time? Let's wait and see how the former international general will recast his legend in middle age.