After the opening match of this year's Chinese Super League, a number of domestic soccer stars such as Zheng Zhi, Hao Junmin, Wu Xinghan, Dai Weijun, etc. gradually retired from the attention of fans. The reasons for their departure vary: Zheng Zhi and Hao Junmin are on the road to transition and seem to be standing on the threshold of retirement, but have yet to make an official statement; Wu Xinghan was overshadowed by Taishan due to a personal matter, while Dai Weijun is fighting against the music department's stormy figure. Their respective destinies, some may return to the green, some may say goodbye to the game.
The 42-year-old Zheng Zhi is reportedly about to step into a retirement ceremony organized by the national team in his honor. Although Zheng Zhi has not publicly announced his retirement, he has not stepped on the field since 2022. Although Guangzhou had him on their roster, his transition to coaching has always been absent in the eyes of fans. The former legend of the national soccer team and the Guangzhou team quietly drew a close to his career. Currently, Zheng Zhi assists Jankovic as an assistant coach of the national team. The national team has placed an emphasis on organizing ceremonies for retired international players in recent years, and Zheng Zhi's stature and contributions make him deserving of a home retirement ceremony. Dalian's two warm-up matches, the first against Myanmar, will feature this ceremony in his honor, recognizing his contributions to Asian and Chinese soccer. Despite the fans' many criticisms of the national team, the reviews of Zheng Zhi have been generally positive. Looking back at Zheng Zhi's national team career, he had ended his national team career with a 0-3 win against Iran in the 2019 Asian Cup. During this period, he made 108 appearances for the national team, scoring 15 goals. From his debut in 2002 to his retirement in 2022, Zheng spent 20 years with the national team. He had an equally illustrious music career, having shone with Tarzan, Charlton, Celtic and Guangzhou. Zheng Zhi's soccer career began with Liaoning, where he became the assists leader and China's Footballer of the Year during his AA days. After honing his skills at Shenzhen Jianlibao, he made a name for himself with Taishan. Studying abroad made him stand out even more and he was already 30 years old when he joined the Guangzhou team. With Guangzhou, he once again reached the peak of his career. Zheng Zhi's retirement marks the end of an era, and it is expected that he will continue to move forward in his coaching career.
