In three successive duels, Ahn Jung-hwan's figure did not appear on the field, and Dalian Shide, with one draw and two losses, regrettably locked up the sixth place in the Chinese Super League and lost the AFC Champions League seat.
Going back to the 2010 season, Ahn appeared in 24 games, making 22 starts and participating fully in 15 of them, and was only subbed out on the bench in two games.
At the age of 34, he was once again the team's top scorer after contributing 10 goals in a single season to finish sixth in the Premier League's top scorer list.
In 2011, Dalian Shide struggled in the transfer market, coupled with the injury plague of Ahn Jung-hwan, the 35-year-old did not play in the first six rounds of the tournament, and the next three rounds only as a substitute.
The first nine rounds of Dalian Shide became 2 wins, 2 draws and 5 losses, the team's internal contradictions and rumors, and finally, Park Sung-hwa was dismissed.
On June 11, 2011, new manager Vengarda made his Chinese Super League debut as Dalian Shide drew 2-2 with Changchun Yatai on the road. Ahn equalized in the 57th minute and added a second in the 63rd, but those were his only two goals of the season and a career-defining performance.
Despite Ahn's several stints as a starter, the team's record didn't improve significantly, and it gradually declined as he got older.
On October 29, Ahn made his debut in the 29th round of the Chinese Super League, but fell behind Jiangsu Suntian 0-1 at the end of the first half. At halftime, the club held a farewell ceremony for Ahn, who interacted closely with his family and fans.
In the second half, Ahn didn't play again and Dalian Shide finally lost 0-3. This game was not only his last game for Dalian Shide, but also the last game of his career.
Dalian Shide was eliminated in the first round of the 2011 CFA Cup re-launch, and Ahn did not play.
At the end of the season, he made 15 appearances, starting six times, playing the full game only twice and scoring two goals. Ahn then left Dalian.
On July 14, 2012, Ahn showed up as a guest at the Dalian derby match and was greeted by fans with fervor. It was said that he returned to Dalian to recover his unpaid wages.
This was his last public appearance in Dalian. Since then, fans have seen Ahn Jung-hwan on video attending various events and his physical appearance has changed.
Thanks to An Jung-hwan's dedication to Dalian soccer, may he return to his homeland one day and reunite with his old friends and fans.
