Qingdao West Coast goalkeeper Chen Zhao was interviewed by Oriental Sports Daily.
How does it feel to have a season over and a team that has accomplished its mission to reach the Super Bowl?
Jo Chen: The year has gone by so fast. A few years ago, we had been playing in the tournament system. This year, the league resumed the home and away system. I feel that every day is very fulfilling. The intervals between matches and games were short, and a season passed quickly. Although the time went by quickly, there are still many points that appear in front of me and stick in my mind when I look back now. At the beginning of the year during winter training, our goals were not very clear and our hearts were not very bottomed out, but as the races went on, our confidence started to improve and our hearts started to gradually get better.
At the beginning of the 2023 season, the club set the goal of "keeping nine and fighting for six". At the end of the season, the team completed the Super League. Was it an accomplished task or an unexpected pleasure?
Chen Zhao: To be honest, at the beginning of the season, the club's slogan was "keep nine and fight for six", but our goal is to go beyond. But going beyond is more than just shouting slogans. We need to put in a lot of effort. Therefore, it must be a surprise for us to accomplish the task of surpassing. For us, apart from the surprise, we are also relieved. This season, I have been competing with myself. After completing the task, I felt a whole lot of relief
Why do you feel relieved? Why are you competing with yourself?
Chen Zhao: For a professional player, if you want to improve and progress, you will inevitably compete with yourself. As the last line of defense for the team, when you are not performing well, you will definitely ask yourself why you have so many ups and downs. If you don't compete with yourself, your mindset will suffer, so in order to improve yourself, you must compete. I used to leave myself on the stage of the Chinese Super League and for various reasons I didn't stay later. I secretly set a goal for myself to kill myself and get back on the stage of the Premier League, the best way to prove myself is to show the best of myself and do every detail well so that we can get back to the highest platform and show ourselves on that stage.
At what point in the game do you feel there is an idea of a Super League run?
Chen Zhao: The second half of the league is in the National Day interval. Before that, we were already 6 points ahead of the team with 5 games to come. At that time, I was wondering how many points we needed to get in the next games to finish beyond. We did the math together, had a chat, and felt that our next overtake would not be a big problem. Although the team experienced setbacks, the emperor was rewarded. The team didn't complete the overtaking task because of my mistake, so I was finally relieved.
So what do you think is the reason for the team's success in the Super Bowl?
Chen Zhao: The success of the team must be inseparable from the support of the boss, which is essential. Our investor Xu is always really into soccer, and he's there for every game, whether it's away or home. In addition, the music department is very united, everyone has the same goal and no one gets confused. As a matter of fact, our team has a lot of good players and can achieve good results not only with good luck, but also with the hard work of the team. Of course, more importantly, we have a better team atmosphere, the boss never owes wages, and salaries and bonuses are paid on time. Together with these details, it is essential that we will become a strong team and finish beyond.
What do you think of Mr. Tsui, the club's investor?
Chen Zhao: Mr. Xu is really a football lover. He should be the youngest among Chinese Super League investors. Mr. Xu will be very nervous and focused when he watches the game. The team is like his child, thriving under his attention. Do you think we can play in such an environment with such a club? In the new season, we will stand on the highest stage of Chinese soccer. As an investor in the club, he must want to make a difference; as players, we just need to focus on the pitch and play well.
You were the team's starting goalkeeper this season, what are some of the games that stick out in your mind?
Chen Zhao: It must be my fault this season. At that time, I really wanted to dig a hole. The away game against Heilongjiang Bingcheng was not easy. We didn't score until the second half. At that time, I thought it was too cool. We will win this game again and stay stable. Maybe this pride affected me. One of my mistakes caused the team to concede a goal and be equalized. If the team couldn't get over the top because of those two points, where was I going to go? But as a goalkeeper, I should adjust quickly. If I keep shrinking, I think I will make more mistakes on the field. During the game, we should show our best side, try to avoid being emotional and live up to the coach's trust in me.
This season you also encountered a managerial dismissal and a drop in the rankings. How did you guys get out of the slump then after Jankovic took over?
Chen Zhao: Our team's goal has not changed or wavered. Yankovic has brought us tactical changes, our previous tactics were more conservative, mainly defensive counter-attacks. After Jankovic came, our tactics became more open and we started to play attacking soccer on the pitch. In the second half of the league, I felt we had a strong team, and as the game progressed, our performance gradually improved and our confidence returned.
Your team is a model for grassroots soccer in China. After a few years of baptism and four years of jumping, a community soccer team will become a Chinese Super League team next season. What do you think of this phenomenon?
Chen Zhao:In fact, this phenomenon is not only in Qingdao West Coast, but also in Wuhan Three Towns and Chengdu Rongcheng. Chinese soccer has this phenomenon. I think a lot of people have mixed reviews, but as one of them, an experienced one, I feel very proud. Our team, as you know very well, started out playing amateur soccer in Qingdao and then went all the way around and slowly came up and started to get its own base. I think the super big clubs like Guoan and Shenhua have their own heritage, and clubs like us also have their own heritage, we are a more grounded team. Our Tian Yong Tian, 36 years old, said after his team made it to the Super League, "From the Qingdao City League to the Chinese Super League, my life is worth soccer." Just think, he will be playing in the Chinese Super League next season from amateur soccer to the Champions League, Division B and then Division A. He has always been with the club. He's been a flag-bearer for the club. I think it's quite a different experience to have that, it's not comparable to any team.
In the past few years since you left Shenhua, you have left your mark in several teams such as Hebei, Chongqing and Shanghai.... You finally realized your dream in Qingdao, how do you evaluate your career in these years?
Chen Zhao: In the past four years, I took a lot of detours. When the Chongqing team was disbanded, I spent more than two months with the Hebei team, but I really wasn't very comfortable there. During that time, I was faced with no ball, my career wasn't going well and my life wasn't very satisfying. The consecutive strikes made me a bit depressed and then I came back to Shanghai and it wasn't the same staying at home every day. I needed to find a place to train to keep my form. At that time, I contacted Shanghai Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and I was glad they opened their doors to me to keep me in good shape. I don't think it's a bad thing to learn from these detours, reorganize my flag and prove myself again.
What are your aspirations for the new season or what do you want for yourself?
Chen Zhao: In the new season, I expect my professional ability to improve and have a better performance on the court. More than anything, I expect my mindset and emotions to be more mature, with no emotional ups and downs. I hope that in the process, the emotional ups and downs can become smaller and smaller, without the roller coaster ups and downs, so that I can flow, minimize my mistakes and try my best to help the team.
