In the early hours of September 5, former international soccer star Mao Jianqing became agitated during a live webcast, sharply criticizing Shenhua's coaching team, including Wu Jingui and Li Chengming, as well as player Zhou Junchen, with words so intense that he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. Shortly after, Mao Jianqing issued an apology via social media, apologizing to the Shenhua club and fans and announcing that he would not be broadcasting live in the future.
Mao Jianqing, the player once known as the "genius boy", in the Asian Cup, an amazing long-distance shot to make the Iranian team lost the door, become a classic moment in the history of the national football team. However, his self-discipline off the pitch is also a concern. In the early years, there were reports that he clashed with his teammates during his Shenxin days because of his drinking. Now, although he has retired to join the youth soccer training, but the drinking problem still seems to follow, people can not help but worry about how he can become a model for young players.
In the history of Chinese men's soccer, alcoholics are not an exception. If we talk about the amount of alcohol, perhaps comparable to the "fast knife prodigal son" peak. Rumor has it that a coach raided the room and found Gao Feng in the room drunk unconscious, with 68 beer cans piled up on the floor, and his alcohol consumption was staggering.In 2015, Gao Feng was again involved in controversy when he took part in a variety show because of the drinking and fighting incident.
Another coach famous for his drinking is Xie Hui, who was sacked himself during his coaching stint at Nantong Zhiyun for drunkenly and outspokenly slagging off his former employer, Shanghai Harbor. However, after a year of recuperation, Xie Hui resurfaced at Dalian People FC and led the team to relegation, showing his unique passion and pressure.
Although Mao Jianqing, Gao Feng, and Xie Hui have retired, they still seem to be the "best of the best" among active players; in 2017, Tianjin player Zhang Xiuwei was detained for driving under the influence of alcohol, and his teammate Zhang Lu was arrested shortly thereafter for the same reason. In Chinese men's soccer, there are a lot of people who have become addicted to drinking, and some of them have even paid the price with their lives, such as Zhao Dayu, a former international player who died of liver cancer after drinking alcohol for a long time.
As a professional athlete or coach, staying away from tobacco and alcohol is a basic requirement. It is self-evident that smoking and drinking are damaging to the body, affecting the training and competition status. Although some people believe that alcohol can be consumed in moderation after retirement, in reality, how many people can control themselves from overdoing it? The drinking behavior of young coaches may become a role model for young players, and how can adult coaches devote themselves to training and tactical research if they are addicted to alcohol? Mao Jianqing this drunken live, although he has apologized, but whether what he said is true, it is worth thinking about.
Chinese men's soccer has been controversial in recent years, the system problem certainly exists, but if you do not solve the problem of players and coaches of alcohol and tobacco, any system will be difficult to implement. This is not only a personal problem, but also an important issue for the healthy development of Chinese soccer.
