In an interview with Northwestern Lookout on November 8, Salvador, who led the all-Chinese Guangzhou team to complete relegation in the Central League, is confident about the team's future. He believes the goal of overtaking the team can be accomplished in as early as three years.
Introducing how to adjust the players' mentality after taking over the team?
Competitive sports are like that. Some clubs are rich, some clubs don't have much money. But as a player, your social status depends on how much money you can make. If you perform well and your team wins, you enter a virtuous cycle. Your value will be seen by the outside world, so you will be entitled to what you want in the future, both athletically and financially. I know you're underpaid right now, and I know there are no bonuses at the club, but like I said earlier, you all need to prove your worth.
Commenting on the young players on the team
Xu Bin is one of my biggest surprises. He's only 19 now, but his skills are already well-rounded. He is a typical hexagonal warrior. He plays efficiently and I'm very happy with his hustle and sacrifice. This is the current model of both strength and attitude. Captains Hou Yu and Liao Jintao have done a great job in balancing attack and defense, and play a big role in coordinating and balancing the whole team. 18-year-old Yang Hao is a very different player with good speed and breakthrough. He always creates chances in one-on-one. It's very rare to have a player like that. I don't need to think too much at all because he should be in the starting position.
Criticizing some players
Some people always think they are good and better than their teammates. They are wrists and stars. They should be the absolute centerpiece, not the backup. If their mentality doesn't change, they won't develop or improve much.
What it's like to coach in the Central League
Chinese first division teams basically rely on foreign aiders to score goals. Whether it's defense or offense, all teams rely heavily on foreigners. Guangzhou All China Class has to do everything to limit the play of the foreigners every week. In many games, we can create a lot of chances, even we are the dominant attacking side, but in the end no one can give the opponent a fatal blow. It is difficult for other teams to play Central League with such a young All China Class and finish relegation, which indirectly proves that Evergrande Soccer School does cultivate excellent players.
Speaking of the weirdness of the Central League
Whenever we concede the first goal in a game, the opponents immediately start stalling as if we don't want to play anymore. Nowadays, the world's top tournaments such as the World Cup and the English Premier League are very bold when it comes to extra time. If there are too many stoppages in the game, a 10-minute extra time is normal, but China A won't be like that.
All-Chinese team's Super League run is not a luxury
At the moment, he needs three years at the earliest to fight for the team with these players. Give us five years and you will find out a lot of things, and I can assure you they are incredible. With enough patience, players from the Evergrande soccer academy are even expected to recreate the glory of Guangzhou's past heyday. We must use this process to prove that there are many potential and talented players in China.
Vacation planning
After the vacation, I won't rest. I'm going to Kunming to watch the U19 finals, observe all the players from the Evergrande Soccer School and keep adding great prospects to our team.
