Recently, a heartbreaking news spread in the football world, China's former famous international footballer Zhang Enhua unfortunately passed away due to illness.
On the evening of April 29, the sad news spread rapidly on the online media, and in just six hours, it triggered heated discussions and condolences among old fans. However, regrettably, condolence messages from relevant organizations appeared to be few and far between.
One of the most notable tributes was to Grimsby Town, who are in the fourth tier of the English league, League Two, and for whom Zhang Enhua briefly played 20 years ago, contributing three goals in 17 games. On the evening of the same day, Grimsby Town's official website headlined an interview with Zhang last year, and announced the tribute on their official Twitter account, with fans also leaving messages of condolence.
It's not just a soccer culture, it's a reflection of a club's PR sense. Even if the results are poor, as a popular organization, it should always be full of human concern. Showing concern for a player who briefly played for our team 20 years ago is a PR event based on a well-developed database, and truly embodies the concept of "don't let good deeds go unpunished".
There is no harm without comparison. By checking out Wikipedia, we've got accurate data on Zhang Enhua's career, so let's take a look back at his old bosses one by one.
First, let's look at the Dalian team. Although the main body of the team has changed, the Dalian People's Professional Football Club, as the inheritor of Dalian soccer, posted a tribute message on Weibo at an earlier time, a move that deserves recognition.
Next up is Tianjin TEDA, the Chinese Super League team that Zhang Enhua joined at the end of the 2004-2005 season. Considering TEDA's current situation, it is perhaps understandable that they have no time for publicity.
Then look at Shenzhen Football Club, where Zhang Enhua worked as an assistant coach. They did their part by posting a tribute on Weibo at the first opportunity.
Finally, let's look at the feedback on Zhang Enhua's death at the level of the Chinese national team, the national soccer team, and the Chinese Super League.
Firstly, Zhang Enhua is a 7-year veteran international player, a starter in the 2001 World Cup and 2000 Asian Cup Tempus, and has also captained the national soccer team. Secondly, he has played in Chinese Super League matches and is a registered player in the CSL database.
Seven goals in 62 games is a much bigger contribution than Grimsby Town's contribution. However, his own people only received a message from the "national soccer team" microblogging at 10:30 pm. It should be said that the reaction of the "national soccer team" has been very fast, but many Chinese fans still feel that for a player who has made contributions, this kind of attention seems to be insufficient.
Many fans have always thought that the national soccer team is not of a high standard. In fact, the gap in the level of soccer has always been multi-faceted. In addition to the technical and tactical ability of the players on the pitch, the smoothness of the pitch turf, the fans' understanding of soccer, and the professionalism of the media are all important components that make up the soccer culture of a country and region. From this perspective, there is still a lot we need to learn.
