In the second round of the new Chinese Super League (CSL) season, facing a strong Beijing Guoan, Shandong Luneng hid most of their starters in order to preserve their strength and play the more important AFC Champions League knockout game. Peng Xinli, Kazaishvili, Li Yuanyi and Mateus Pato were among the starters rotated, and the injured Kressan was not directly included in the match list, replaced by substitutes or fringe players such as Song Long, Bi Jinhao, Zhao Jianfei and Jia Feifan.
Surprisingly, even with such a massive rotation by Choi Kang-hee, one of Shandong Luneng's decorated veterans is still overlooked as a decoration for his team. This meritorious veteran is the 36-year-old right wing. Chinese fans who watched the game know that Zhang Zhi did not get a minute on the pitch from start to finish, and became completely superfluous to the team.
What makes Zhang Zhi even more frustrated is that in this game against Beijing Guoan, after the first two rounds of the new season, he didn't get a minute on the field. It can be seen that Luneng's meritorious veteran, with age, has become a completely boring spectator under Cui Kangxi's tactical system.
Zhang Qi is definitely the first "loyal general" of Shandong Luneng. Data shows that he has never left Shandong Luneng since his debut in 2010. From the freshly dressed youngster to the late years of his career, he has been playing for Shandong Luneng for 13 years without realizing it. It can be said that Zhang Chi gave the best youth of his life to Shandong Luneng, and he will probably choose to die in Shandong Luneng. Therefore, he can really realize his long-cherished dream of "one man, one city" in Shandong Luneng.
Zhang Zhi is a wing back with excellent physical qualities, not only stable in defense, but also creative up front. He is fast and explosive, and at his peak, he can often create offensive opportunities for his team through his breakthroughs. Data shows that up to now, Zhang Zhi has contributed 10 goals and 10 assists for Shandong Luneng, with numerous key passes.
Furthermore, although Zhang Zhi is 36 years old this year, his athleticism hasn't declined significantly thanks to his self-discipline. In his current state, although he may not be able to play the main position of Luneng Taishan, but when the team needs to rotate, let him be a substitute strange soldier is actually a very good choice. However, it seems that Cui Kangxi no longer trusts this excellent veteran, so it only became a decoration to keep him on the bench for two consecutive games. Such a "loyal minister and good general", in his old age, can only helplessly play soccer, inevitably let a person sigh. This may be the cruelty of competitive sports.
