Veteran Wang Song is expected to return to play for Shijiazhuang Kungfu, according to soccer contributor Leo. Currently, Shijiazhuang Kung Fu has not signed a new contract with head coach Zhou Lin, and the departure was only officially announced.
Change of command:Zhou Lin's departure is just short of an official announcement:Zhou Lin's departure is just short of an official announcement
Not long ago, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced the list of the first batch of professional league access clubs for the new season, among them Shijiazhuang Kung Fu. The CFA did not finalize the league teams at the last minute as it did last season. As a result, Shijiazhuang Kung Fu's work ahead of the 2024 season has not been affected by external factors such as the possible supplementation of the Chinese Super League beforehand. The team has also been preparing for the Chinese First Division step by step since the end of the Chinese First Division last year.
While the Shijiazhuang Kung Fu team is facing an obvious situation in the new season, the team's internal changes are not small. For starters, head coach Zhou Lin, who took over the team midway through last season, signed a contract with the club until the end of 2023. After the contract expired, the two sides have yet to sign a new contract. Not long ago, Zhou Lin also gave a farewell speech on social media, confirming that it is unlikely that the two sides will continue to work together in the 2024 season.
Reporters have learned from other sources that Zhou Lin, who took over as coach of the Shijiazhuang Kung Fu team in the middle of last season, has commanded the team's performance that has been recognized by the club and fans. A winning streak has returned the team to the first division impressively. However, the team's failure to take some key matches at home against Guangxi, Shenyang, Jiangxi, and Shanghai Jiading had a big impact on the Super League run, especially when facing strong teams. In addition, there are not many ways for Ogbu to play after being restricted by the staring defense, which is also regrettable for the club. Before the new season, the club hopes to find a more experienced head coach to coach the team.
Trouble with headline foreign aid suspensions
In terms of player adjustments, there are two key positions in Shijiazhuang Kung Fu that need to be improved as soon as possible. The first and foremost is the issue of Ogbu staying. After winning last season's Golden Boot award, Ogbu caught the attention of many in the furniture music department, but with the introduction of the Chinese Football Association's new foreign aid policy, Ogbu is in an awkward position. According to the new foreign aid rules of this year's China First Division, each team can participate in up to three foreign aiders at the same time per game, while before the China First Division, each team could only participate in two foreign aiders at the same time.
The new rules mean that every club will want to use all three of its foreigners to the fullest extent possible in matches. Ogbu has shown great ability to score points in the Central League last season, but if he starts a five-game suspension, it will mean that the team he plays for will only be able to use two foreigners against the other team's three foreigners for 1/6 of the season. So whether he stays with the team or moves on, Ogbu will have teams weighing the pros and cons over and over again.
The reporter learned from other sources that after Ogbu ended last season and received additional punishment, the owner of Shijiazhuang Kung Fu Club went to the Football Association several times to communicate, submitted video information taken from all angles of the scene to prove that the player did not commit additional fouls, but the reply was based on the referee's report, which made Ogbu have to face a five-game suspension in the new season.
