Yi Bei watched the ball: Recently, the media conducted an exclusive interview with Li Yi, a former international and the current head coach of Sichuan Jiuniu. The following is the content of the interview
Sichuan Jiuniu became the only Chinese League A team to break into the quarterfinals of this FA Cup. The head coach of the team is former international Li Yi. Although he has been retired for many years, he is still one of the most eye-catching topic figures in Chinese football.
Li Yi has a straight personality and frequent witty remarks. On the one hand, this gave him a high degree of exposure in the media; on the other hand, he also became the target of online pranks. But in the dual identity of footballer and Internet celebrity, Li Yi said that he is still more inclined to the green field.
The feeling you give to the outside world has always been a person who is outspoken and quick to say what he wants.
First of all, these are one's three views. Man still has to be upright. If nothing else, at the very least, there must be righteousness. Only then will you be able to bring in the players. If you don't do it right yourself, how do you teach the players? Just like our team management and discipline, if the head coach doesn't follow it, how do you manage your players?
When you were a player, you also had conflicts with the coach. After becoming a coach, will you have a new feeling about this?
It was relatively young. Including now, the so-called top stars, and the coach will definitely have some contradictions, which is quite normal. It depends on how to digest it reasonably. If we are all separated by a layer, the contradiction may become deeper and deeper.
As I get older, as a coach, my biggest feeling compared to the coaches of the previous generation is that the important thing between the coach and the players is that there is a need for communication. If there is good communication, there may not be a big misunderstanding. Many misunderstandings arise because of the lack of communication. The coach feels that the coach is right, and the players feel that the players are right. If it can be said, there is no contradiction.
When I first took over Shenzhen, I was a head coach for the first time, how did I feel at that time?
Before taking over, I was an assistant coach for three years. I followed Trussier and learned a lot from him. I also knew the situation of that team very well at that time, and I wanted to try it out and see if I had any room to build in this area. There are some things that you can't know without trying. I also thanked Wan Hongwei at that time (referring to Wan Hongwei, then chairman of Shenzhen Football Club), for giving me this opportunity. It was also a tough year.
You pay great attention to appearance and dress when conducting the game, always wearing a handsome coat. Do you want to show the image of a Confucian handsome?
No, no, first of all, it is cold, and it is easy to freeze without wearing a coat. (Laughs) One more, it has to do with everyone's habits. I feel like no matter what the game, directing the game is my job and needs to be taken seriously. First of all, you don't care about yourself, how can you do this job well? You represent the image of the club and tell everyone in front of the players: I am ready.
There was a time when you were ridiculed a lot on the Internet and almost became an Internet celebrity.
Not for a while, it has always been. Another way of thinking, this shows that at least everyone still knows you. If everyone doesn't laugh at you, it means that you are worthless. I would also like to thank the fans for so many years.
But sometimes I'm quite tangled. When I came to Jiuniu, the boss of UBTECH talked to me, and he asked me: Why did you choose to be a coach? You do commentary, you become an internet celebrity, and you earn a lot more than this. And it's also free and has exposure.
Indeed it is. Before I became a coach at Jiuniu, I also went to "running men" in those years, all kinds of commentary, including the World Cup. Live very comfortably, the income is not bad, and you will not be scolded. Even now, there are many fans who have left me messages asking me why I don't explain the Premier League? The answer I gave them at the time was: I do those things and I feel like I'm "empty."
Once I was on the football pitch and saw the greenery, I was incredibly excited. That's what I want. That's why I dropped those contracts and decided to be a coach. After all, I have been following football since I was a child for so many years and know more about football. When I can, I also want to do something to see if I can give a little warmth to the colder Chinese football.
When you are ridiculed and spoofed, how can your mentality slowly adjust?
I was still young and couldn't figure it out. Equally on the field, a mistake by others is fine, and a mistake by me, especially in the national team, is an overwhelming taunt. At that time, I was also struggling with this matter, but many things still had to be carried by myself. Walk through it and you will know that this is the experience. After experiencing this, you can cultivate a strong heart.
In China, to be a professional team coach, you must first have a strong heart, otherwise you will not be able to survive the public opinion. The technical and tactical level is not even the most important, you need to practice your heart first.
You've kept up well in terms of stature, are you still playing football? What about speed?
It's still as fast as before, but the muscles may not be able to do it. Some time ago I was injured when I played football. Sometimes, I still like to play football with everyone, including moving with our players and keeping it up. If you hold your stomach up and take the players, what will the players think? This coach came to teach me, can he teach me?
Although you didn't actually say "protecting the ball like Henry", how do you evaluate your own ball protection skills?
Everyone's characteristics are different. I think it's left to our players to evaluate
Did you admire Henry before the "Ball Terrier" was born?
I admire a lot of players. Arsenal were at the heyday of the Premier League, setting a record of 49 unbeaten games. Arsene Wenger's Arsenal were not only winning, they were playing in the same way we aspired.
How much potential does Sichuan Jiuniu have? What will the future of the team look like?
This is not something I can measure. This is what the club is going to measure. If you want to go up, you need people, you have to have money. If Evergrande does not have financial support, he cannot win so many championships, which is the simplest truth.