Taishan, the holy land of soccer, is once again on the cusp of a two-front war. Unlike in the past, Taishan has been under heavy pressure from consecutive defeats in the Chinese Super League (CSL). If Bangkok United, a strong team in the Thai Premier League, is able to win the AFC Champions League, it will be difficult for the club to explain to the enthusiastic fans.
Choi Kang-hee, the former soccer helmsman, now has no way back. Tarzan must win a home match against Bangkok United, and they must do so with a convincing victory. Only then will Choi Kang-hee be able to turn a crisis into a crisis, and get rid of the crisis of trust. Otherwise, even if Choi is not dismissed, the club will not be able to give a reasonable explanation to the fans.
Once Choi Kang-hee leaves, his Korean coaching team will also go with him. Taishan Club must plan ahead and find a new fire-fighting coach in advance. According to domestic sports media reports, Taishan clubs may look to the team's legendary Han Peng, so that the meritorious veterans in danger, to lead Shandong Taishan to finish the season's journey. When the season comes to an end, a foreign coach will be hired to take charge of Taishan next season.
The 41-year-old Han Peng, an outstanding player from Jinan New Century Soccer School, joined Taishan in 1999 under the tutelage of Zhang Haitao, and was promoted to Taishan's first-team squad in 2002, where he quickly made a name for himself in the professional league. Playing for Taishan for 14 years, Han Peng contributed 71 league goals and 13 assists to the team, and was the best local center forward in the Chinese Super League at that time.
After retiring from playing, Han Peng joined the coaching business and is now the head coach of Taishan B team, leading the team to play in the China B League. As a decorated member of the team, Han Peng is good at managing the team's locker room and can effectively motivate the team's morale. Of course, whether Han Peng accepts Taishan's call-up will depend on whether Cui Kangxi can be successfully dismissed next week...
