On the evening of July 20, CCTV's "Football Night" broadcast an in-depth interview with Chengdu Rongcheng Football Club captain Zhou Dingyang, which centered on his family life, captain's duties, personal growth, integration of new recruits, and seasonal goals, showing the multi-faceted life and professional pursuit of this midfield core.
The family is a strong support
Zhou Dingyang was full of happiness when talking about his daughter Zhou Mei's life in Chengdu. For his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Chengdu has become her home, a place full of warmth and happiness, he said. Whenever he comes back to the apartment, his daughter's "We're home" always gives him a sense of satisfaction and happiness. His daughter is learning Chinese and English at school and enjoying the fun of growing up, which also makes Zhou Dingyang very happy. He is especially grateful to his wife for her dedication and support. It is the companionship and encouragement of his family that makes him feel at home in a foreign country, and thus he can focus more on his soccer career.
Passing on the captain's spirit to lead the team forward
Talking about his experience of becoming the captain of Chengdu Rongcheng, Zhou Dingyang said that he grew up under the example of his predecessors such as Gan Rui, Liu Tao and Feng Zhuoyi. He understands the responsibility of being the captain, not only to continue the good image set by his predecessors, but also to lead the team to move forward. According to Zhou Dingyang, being the captain at Chengdu Rongcheng is not really complicated as there are many good players in the team, he just needs to do a good job in leading the team so that everyone can play at their best.
Personal growth goes hand in hand with team success
This season, Zhou Dingyang's goals have improved significantly compared to previous years. He admits that this is due to the overall strength of the team and the selfless support of his teammates. As a player who runs and covers a large area, he can provide important help to the team in both defense and offense. Now, as his teammates create more space and opportunities for him, he is more confident in participating in the offense, and the goals come with it. He also singled out the excellent performance of the team's backline and the trust and support of the head coach as important factors in his personal growth and the team's success.
New reinforcements are integrated and the team is more united
Regarding the integration of new recruits, Zhou Dingyang said that the team has brought in many new players this year, which does take some time to gel and adapt. But he believes that under the leadership of the head coach, the team has successfully passed this stage. Everyone has worked together to establish the team's style and direction, and has produced good chemistry on the field. Zhou Dingyang also particularly praised the head coach's spirit of commitment, standing in front of the players like a shield, sharing the pressure and carrying the responsibility for them.
Season Goal: Strike AFC Championship and AFC Cup Honors
Finally, Zhou Dingyang talked about the team's goals for this season. He confessed that he truly hopes Chengdu Rongcheng can achieve a spot in the AFC Champions League and bring the team's wonderful performance and fan atmosphere to the Asian stage. At the same time, he also attaches great importance to the opportunity to play in the F.A.C.A. Cup, believing that it is the perfect time to add trophies to the club's honor room. Zhou Dingyang said that the whole team will work together and fight hard to achieve these goals.
