May 2, Beijing Times, Guangdong Sports Channel reporter Zhou Jianwen revealed that talking about the transfer to the seaport team, Zhang Linpeng frankly did not have the intention to leave the team, because he left only temporarily.
The following was shared by Zhou Jianwen on his personal Twitter account:
Recently, my colleagues and I traveled to Wuhua, Meizhou to witness the joining of two new foreigners of Meizhou Hakka and will follow up on the report. Meanwhile, Yin Hongbo has been training with the team for two to three weeks. We took the opportunity to visit our old friend. Talking about his favorite student Yin Hongbo, the club's general manager Cao Yang was full of praise in an interview. Cao Yang said, "Compared to when he left Guangdong, he has been performing well." Although Yin Hongbo is no longer the old owner of Guangdong Rizhiquan, there are still many familiar faces in the team: general manager Cao Yang is his mentor, leader Li Weijun, captain Shi Liang and goalkeeper Hou Yu are his old teammates who have fought together in the Second Division, the First Division and the National Games. Yin Hongbo's joining the team reminds him of a classic line from a Hong Kong drama, "The most important thing for a family is to be neat and tidy."
Back then, Yin Hongbo leaving Guangdong was not Cao Yang's first choice. Although he wanted his favorite player to develop on a higher platform, Cao Yang didn't want him to go too far away and contacted Guangzhou R&F. However, R&F, who were in the midst of a bid to qualify for the AFC Champions League at the time, didn't take a liking to the slightly thin midfielder who lacked experience in the top flight, and only offered him a lower contract. Henan Jianye, on the other hand, took a liking to the talent and brought him to Zhengzhou on terms that were hard to refuse. Yin proved himself worthy of a higher deal, transforming from a Central League 1 player into a popular international. After arriving in Wuhua, Yin did not rent a room like other players, but thought that the base dormitory conditions were already quite good, and that he would be very comfortable as long as he put his mind to it. For him, who is used to the big city, living in Wuhua city is not very attractive, and living in the base can save a lot of commuting time. Yin specially purchased a wooden table, sofa and massage chair for making tea, and usually lives with his teammates to drink tea or watch movies, which is a bit boring but gives people an inexplicable sense of security.
The 2009 Shandong National Games was an unforgettable experience for me, and I think it was for Yin Hongbo as well, and probably even more so for Zhang Linpeng. Recently, we chatted about the Shandong National Games on WeChat and marveled at how time flies. Most of his rivals have become good friends, and he knows that Guo Zichao has taken over the coaching of the Guangdong women's soccer team; Li Jian, who almost joined Dongya, has switched to the entertainment business. That year's "All-China Games generation" was full of stories, and an inexplicable red card in the U20 men's soccer final not only changed the trend of the championship, but also altered the trajectory of the lives of the players from Guangdong and Shanghai.
Zhang Linpeng is a nostalgic person, 11 years ago, he never thought he would leave Chongming Island, even when his mentor Xu Genbao told him that he would have to sell himself for the sake of the team's survival, he still couldn't believe it. I remember when I interviewed the Chinese National Olympic team at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games at the Galaxy Sports Center, and Zhang Linpeng was interviewed by us after the game. When asked about the rumors of joining Evergrande, Linpeng immediately denied it and showed a disgruntled expression, but six months later, he appeared at Evergrande's new-recruitment conference. 11 years later, Zhang Linpeng, who didn't think he'd ever leave Guangzhou, is facing a crossroads in his life again. In the second phase of the Chinese Super League last season, Linpeng accepted my interview, and his feelings for Guangzhou made the iron defender instantly burst into tears. After the interview, he said that even if Guangzhou let him re-sign the contract, as long as the treatment is within the reasonable range of the FA's salary limit, he will not hesitate to choose to stay in the team. However, the reality is even more cruel, Guangzhou team's new salary structure is almost impossible to maintain Zhang Linpeng's existing normal life, leaving his only choice. On the day of the official announcement at the Shanghai seaport, I WeChatted my best wishes to Linpeng, hoping that he would record a parting video for the Guangzhou fans, but he immediately returned the call, saying that he didn't have a plan to leave, as the departure was only temporary - which sounds a bit intriguing.
In the "post-golden dollar era" of the Chinese Super League, it has become a luxury for most players to find a club where they can play with peace of mind. Yin Hongbo and Zhang Linpeng, even as current international players, were caught in the huge difficulties of Chinese professional soccer at that time. Returning to the "old club" is always full of emotions, not to mention going back to the place where the dream started. However, returning to one's roots before one's leaves have fallen is, in my opinion, full of compromises and perhaps some resentment. But at least, there are no unpaid wages here.
