In an interview with Oriental Sports Daily, Sichuan Jiu Niu team superhero Zhu Baojie said that although he encountered difficulties in the process, the team's determination to go beyond did not waver. Shanghai Shenhua is the beginning of his dream, but also hope to retire in Shenhua, so it is a little regret to leave.
In the 2023 season, Sichuan Jiuniu won the Central League Championship, and veteran Zhu Baojie made 28 appearances, contributing 1 goal and 10 assists, earning him the title of Central League Assists Champion.
Let's start with how it feels to be in the Premier League three rounds ahead of schedule this season, shall we? When you joined the team, did you ever think you'd make it to the Premier League?
I am very happy. After we finished the Super League, I found out from other sources that after 17 years, there is finally a team with the prefix "Sichuan" in China's top soccer league, registered with the Sichuan Provincial Football Association. Surprisingly, we've made a piece of history and it's really exciting.
In fact, we set out at the beginning of the year to go beyond and experienced many setbacks and difficulties. We accomplished our goal of surpassing it three rounds ahead of schedule, and it really wasn't easy to reach that point. I would like to focus on our team, it's really united, we are united without any selfishness, just for the same goal, and now we have finally accomplished it.
You just said that the team actually had a difficult time before the season, when they had to move to Changsha, and then how did they stabilize step by step?
To be honest, I got here because after discussions with the management, I felt that this team was ambitious and that they were aiming to go above and beyond. We did go through some turbulence at the beginning of the season, which did have an impact on us. However, our determination to go above and beyond did not waver. Together we twisted a rope and put our hearts in one place. In addition, our club has a very clear goal of going above and beyond this year. We didn't say we should try it for a year first. If we didn't, we would continue next year. We aren't. We have to achieve the goal of going beyond this year. In fact, being able to go beyond is also very helpful to the young players in our team. Very few players have played in the CFL. Personally, I think young players need to show themselves on a higher platform.
As I said earlier, it's not that I didn't have a chance to play in the Chinese Super League before I came to Sichuan Jiuniu, but I was impressed by the club's plans and ideals. Their ideas were very realistic and acceptable, so I chose to come here. For this team, I have the choice to play here, as well as their sustainability. Now Chinese soccer is completely different from the old golden dollar soccer. The great momentum is calm and the existential crisis spreads from time to time. Against the backdrop of Chinese soccer constantly hitting the bottom, pragmatism reigns supreme, and to live is to win.
Of course, City Football Group attaches great importance to the Chinese soccer market. They want to make some contribution to the Chinese soccer market. They have ambition. As we all know, City Football Group has many clubs all over the world, such as Manchester City, Melbourne who won the Australian Super League for three consecutive times last season, Yokohama Mariners. In every league, City Football Group teams are fighting for the title. In China, maybe we are not in the top league right now, but we won the title in the Chinese A-League, finishing three rounds ahead of schedule and surpassing the task.
Sichuan Jiuniu has never been in arrears in paying wages, whether it is salary or bonus, it will be paid on time. We all know that there are very few furniture and music departments that do not owe wages, so I say that City Football Group has ideals and ambitions in the Chinese soccer market. This behavior also addresses our concerns.
The management of the club also looked after us. Before the matches, they would use their connections and try to solve problems for us in any way they could, and the management would give us a down-to-earth feeling, like brothers. We would come to every game, home or away, in person. We would be very concerned about how we ate and how we drank. When we went on the road, we would choose the best hotels and that was for us to have a good game and not have to worry. They were really meticulous and made us feel like the team was home.
Hard work pays off and it's only one season before you return to the top flight of Chinese soccer. The Nine Bulls have a lot of players with experience in the Chinese Super League, you and Yu Rui, as a player, do you think it's inevitable that the Nine Bulls will go beyond?
I think it is quite natural. As a team of the City Football Group, the management of our club has helped us win a lot, even though our parent company is a foreign company. For everyone, it's everyone's good fortune to have such leaders. They do everything for the team and think about how they can benefit the team.
Honestly, if the management is good, the relationship between our players will be good. For a team like ours, the management should do what the management should do, the manager should do what the manager should do, and our players should play well on the pitch. Layer upon layer of people doing their own things well, starting from the good of the team, not violating the laws of soccer development, without all that nonsense. How can you say the team is not developing well?
There is nothing to be reluctant about. As a matter of fact, in my last year at Shenhua, I played a lot of games. I remember there were 20 games, but there was no way I could stay. In fact, there are still regrets for me because Shenhua was the beginning of my soccer dream. I wanted to end my career there, but it often backfired.
It's a blessing in disguise, you'll be able to play in the Chinese Super League again in the new season at Sichuan Jiuniu.
Yes, after 17 years, Sichuan soccer is back on the top stage of Chinese soccer and the Sichuan derby. I hope the new season will bring more joy and happiness to Sichuan fans and work hard for the team to achieve better results. Actually, now that I think about it, it's still quite exciting to make history for Sichuan soccer. Winning the Central League Championship for Sichuan soccer seems to be the highest honor for Sichuan soccer, and I have completed the journey to unlock the door. Next season, the Sichuan derby can also be unlocked. Anyway, I think playing soccer in Sichuan is worthwhile. Grandma is also happy that I can play soccer in Jiuniu. This is my life.
How does it feel to have played for so many years?
Like I said earlier, I've been playing professional soccer for 17 years, and for me, I've been through so much Chinese soccer, golden dollar soccer, and now I'm playing soccer. I've been through three transcendence, in Nanchang, Beijing (Renhe), and this time, I've been in the AFC Champions League, I've been through all of them, and in fact, I think that all these years of my professional career is the one that has shown me the meaning of the phrase "let it go". I can come this far, first of all, I have to thank my master Zhu Jiong, without him, I may not be who I am now. Secondly, I would like to thank some of my friends and teammates. My career has had its good times and bad times, and I have to thank my friends and teammates for the bad times. So, I want to be satisfied now, do my best and listen to fate.
