Reporter Lu Mi reported that Wang Dong, who was born in 1981, is working as an assistant coach in Zibo Keju this year. This year, he said goodbye to his status as a player and took the first step in another career. After the retirement did not have a huge ceremony, after the quiet transformation, people found that this former topic figure became the "Wang Guide", in his bones, he was still the one who dared to love and hate, and was quick and straight- For the different identities of players and coaches, he has his own understanding, but also planned the road he will take in the future, he hopes to become the excellent coach in his mind, more like the future work, everyone still calls him "Dong Brother".
◆ "Football": For this year's change from player to coach, it is still a bit surprising. When such a change comes, do you have to adjust your mentality early in your heart, or are you still a little reluctant to play on the court?
Wang Dong: When I made this decision, I was very hesitant and contradictory, in fact, I still wanted to play at that time, based on various reasons, I felt that the transformation was also timely, so I entered the new role in advance to see if I was the material of being a coach. Almost 40 years old, or very reluctant, although I feel that my physical state is OK in all aspects, but the transformation is sooner or later, you must make this decision.
◆ In fact, before you, there are many players who are slightly younger than you who have retired, and when you watch them retire, will you think about the day you retire?
Of course, you will think that over the years, I have seen many teammates who have worked together retired, and I will imagine the scene of the day I retired, and I am more than willing to give up the green field. Although I will still be on the pitch as a coach, it is completely different from the feeling of being a player on the pitch, after all, I have been a player for too long, the status of coach has just begun, and it takes time to adapt to the new identity.
◆ A player who has been playing in the green field for such a long time needs to go through a mental journey to say goodbye to his own player status?
At a certain age, I feel that I have experienced everything, for the identity of the past players, in fact, there is no regret, for each player, I hope that the longer my career is better, especially in the twilight of my career, everyone is trying to extend their professional life. There will be some anxiety during that time, but everyone has to accept such a process and result, which is the only way for players to go through and a normal state of life.
◆ Your entire career has lasted for a long time, you have played in the Second Division, the Chinese First Division, the Chinese Super League, and you have also had the experience of playing for the national brand, which is the most memorable for you?
In fact, each paragraph is quite memorable, it is my life experience, there are ups and downs, I think it is also very good to have these experiences. There are good times and bad times in the whole career, and I feel that my psychological endurance has been greatly experienced in this process. It is precisely because of this experience that I feel that my life experience is full. What I can't forget most is the way I played football, no matter what kind of team I was in, the way I put it in.
◆ During this time when you first retired, do you often think of yourself when you were young?
In fact, I feel that I am still very young (laughs), I feel that I still live in a young person, and I have been in this circle for too long, and I feel that I still maintain a kind of innocence, like I have just stepped into the football circle.
◆ Throughout your entire career, it can be said that you are a player full of topics, people who like you will like you very much, people who don't like you will always criticize you, in this process, what kind of mentality are you yourself?
I've been through a lot of coaches in my career, and every time they tell me, don't care too much about what other people say, how to comment, maybe I don't take the initiative to see it, but it will still reach my ears. I got to the soccer field and wanted to try to do my best. There are people who like me, there will definitely be people who don't like me, I can only go my own way, let others say go. No one is perfect, I really can't be so perfect, and I can't let everyone just say I'm good. It's been that mentality all these years.
◆ From a young player to a young player to a veteran later, will your understanding of the profession of football change with age?
A lot has changed, especially in the last three years, having been with the Spanish coach for a long time, which has allowed me to learn about football from another perspective. In the past, most of our Chinese football played more like "Ashkenazi", the arrival of the Spanish coach made me learn a lot, and now I see a kind of fusion football, including when we look at the current European Championship, it is not a system to play to the end. I think football may develop to the end, there is only one system, that is, the "modern system". Our football philosophy needs to evolve and everyone's understanding of football needs to improve over time. I think that over the years, coaches from different European countries have come to China to coach, which is also a good thing for our players and football development, at least it can bring us some different insights.
◆ You have won the league championship, helped three teams to succeed, and helped the team to relegate, for your career, has it been completed?
Overall, it was quite successful, but there were also regrets, that is, in the World Cup qualifiers that year, I only played twice, and I did not help the team enter the World Cup finals. In addition, even when I was young, I also had the opportunity to go out to stay in the ocean, but I did not go, and now I think it is still a pity.
◆ "Football": You quickly completed the transformation of your identity after retiring and became an assistant coach of Zibo Keju, what kind of considerations did you have for your career after retirement? Are there any other options?
Wang Dong: When I was playing football, I thought about what happened after I retired, and what I thought about at that time was to start from an assistant coach, exercise, precipitate, and learn. There are ideas, but still have to see if they are this piece of material, being a coach is not the same as a player, a good player plays well, not necessarily a good coach, this step I want to see if I can do this job well, in Zibo these times, I feel that there are also difficulties, but I feel that I still have such a talent.
◆ Zibo's preparation before the start of the new season of the Chinese League A is quite hasty, and you have just transformed into an assistant coach, will this process be difficult for you?
After retiring from the army, it is still difficult to do this work immediately after. Our run-in time is not long, the new season to form a team of players is also relatively late, we need to do all the work in the shortest possible time, and do the best within the scope of ability, in order to meet the league well. This is a relatively big challenge for me who has just transformed.
◆ Zibo Club from the experience of the conquest, is still relatively jerky, such as Huang Hongyi guidance is also the first time to lead the team to play in the Chinese League A, your previous career experience, whether you can help the team's conquest, at least these opponents for you, should be very familiar.
The information of modern football is mutual, and before the game, our coaching staff will meet collectively to communicate and bring together the information they have. In fact, after coming to Zibo, the head coach still trusted me, he would tell me all his requirements, and then let me carry out his intentions with confidence.
◆ The first time you officially appear as an assistant coach, a daily game, a training class, what do you need to do in advance?
The coaching staff will meet to make a training plan, the head coach will convey the requirements to us, and then our assistant coaches will communicate them to the players and implement these requirements in training. After the training, watch the training video to find the problem, and hold a meeting to talk about the problem. Before the game, it is necessary to analyze the opponent, from all levels, such as the direction of attack, the attack and defense of the set-piece, the opponent's key players and the weakness of the opponent's defense. As for what is done in the end, it depends on the player's performance on the field.
◆ Now from the perspective of the coach, these players who have been like you, and even some teammates who have played at the same time as you, will not have the same problem, because you stand from a different angle, so now the point of view will be different?
In fact, on the issue of football, everyone's views are the same, the key lies in how to unify everyone's thinking. There are different ideas, of course, everyone can put forward, and finally to the field to form a unity, in fact, it is very simple, I used to put forward my ideas with the coach, now I will receive feedback from the players, I tell them, your idea is not wrong, but I think about the whole. It's a matter of perspective, and coaches need to see the big picture more. As a player, what you may see is both local and personal. Coaches see more than just on the pitch, but more off the pitch.
◆ You have the experience of the players, like your basic skills, and the mentality that young players should have, and how the old players can extend their careers, will you pass on these experiences to your players now?
Yes, no matter which team I am on, what kind of players I bring, I have the highest requirements for them, and I do it according to the high level of requirements. As for what they can do, it depends on their own efforts and their own talents. In my case, what I can say, what I can teach, will be told to them.
◆ As an assistant coach, the identity has changed, in the past people may call you Dong Brother will be more, now everyone wants to call you Wang Dao, compared to the two, you prefer everyone how to call you?
Many players still call me "Brother Dong", maybe they are not used to calling me "Wang Dao", both on and off the field. I still like to be called "Brother Dong" so that I look younger (laughs). Sometimes they are called "Wang Dao", and I can't react for a while.
◆ "Football": In April, the national team officially awarded you a commemorative jersey, which is the retirement ceremony given to you by the national team, did you evoke your national team memory at that time?
Wang Dong: Yes, when I was in the national team, I felt that I was also in the best state, and I missed it very much. I joined the national team in 2005 and quit the national team in 2009 because of surgery on a foot injury, and if I hadn't had that injury, I would have spent a few more years in the national team. The national team is the highest goal of every Chinese player's career, and they all hope to be able to put on the national team jersey and win glory for the country.
◆One of your best wins was in the 2007 Asian Cup 5-1 victory over Malaysia, where you staged a double-score. Was that the time when you were most spirited? What was the level in Asia at that time in the minds of your players?
At that time, I was young, only 26 years old, which was the best time in all aspects, and entering the national team also had my own ambitions and pursuits, and I also realized my wishes at that time. At that time, we could play with the South Korean and Japanese national teams, and I remember playing 2-2 with Iran, and it was very difficult for them to win against the teams in West Asia, anyway, they were on par. Playing against Southeast Asian teams, basically we still have a good chance, and it is difficult for them to beat us.
◆ Later, with the aging of the 81, 82 players, the influence of the national football team in Asia is gradually becoming smaller, and the road to impacting the World Cup is not very smooth, you are the one who has experienced it, what is the reason for this?
In fact, we also fell in the top 12 at that time, from our group of players to see the national football team in these years, in fact, I think that the psychological problem of Chinese players is the biggest deficiency, not the problem of ability. If you are afraid of your hands and feet, you really can't kick well. Catching the ball is afraid of mistakes, afraid of responsibility, many players will have such ideas, even in the league, encounter strong teams will "hide", is afraid of mistakes affecting reputation. For example, if a teammate gives you a pass, the pass may be broken, then there may be a situation of hiding behind and not catching, I have seen it before, it is really quite scary. Where are the weak teams to come out to perform, and the strong teams to hide? This psychology is terrible, I don't like it.
◆ So in your opinion, what does Chinese football need to do now?
After so many years of Chinese football, I feel that the style of play during the Belt Team period has begun to have some interesting things, and we have changed too many coaches for the sake of results over the years. In the process of pursuing results, we should return to football itself, think about what kind of play we need, study this thoroughly, go to the end, and form our own style and system, which is the most important. Japanese and Korean football has been a lot of distance from us over the years, and they have been able to calm down and build a system and improve the foundation of youth training, but what we have done in recent years has not been good enough.
◆ This time the national football team has gone through hardships, once again to the top 12, for the Qatar World Cup to do the final sprint, although the group has not yet come out, what do you think is the probability of us rushing into the World Cup finals?
I think there is hope, there is a chance, into the top 12 matches, every game is key, our national team strength is very good, there are foreign players, there are naturalized players, everyone under the leadership of Li Tie' guidance, the mood is also very sufficient, the whole psychology of the game is done very well, the overall team appearance gives people a positive, united feeling, so I will feel confident.