Stepping into the drums of battle in the 30th round of the 2022 season of the first division league, the dressing room of Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard Football Club ushered in the fifth leader, Li Dong's joining is like a spring breeze, injecting a new vitality into the team.
Facing the camera, Li Dong revealed that he took over this united team precisely because of their strong team spirit. Although he was originally scheduled to take over the coaching whip in the middle of the season, various factors have caused him to make his official debut only at this moment. After a period of time together, Li Dong is confident that he will be able to recreate the glory of Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard.
However, the world of soccer never lacks drama. Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard in the end of the season in danger, four consecutive rounds of coaching changes, and finally in the fifth attempt to usher in Li Dong. Such a change, in the soccer world is regarded as "military taboo", but relegation pressure in Xinjiang, had to make such a choice.
Parhati, Nasser, Asghar, and Lippin, the first four coaches have their own reasons behind their turnover. From Parhati at the beginning of the season to Lippin later, the team has gone through twists and turns in the coaching turnover, but in the end, they were not spared.
Li Dong, a veteran soccer coach, has been in the coaching business since his retirement in 1998. He has coached Qingdao Hailifeng, Qingdao Liming and Beijing Zangying Xuequan Tibetan soccer teams, and was a technical coach for overseas teams such as South Korea's K-League and La Liga's Valencia between 2007 and 2009.
Facing a brand new challenge, Li Dong said in the pre-match conference of Round 30 that he would take the responsibility to bring a new look to the team. However, in the first match, he did not rush into the game, but fine-tuned the line-up and tactics.
Despite Li Dong's timely tactical adjustments in the second half, the team lost 0-3. After the match, Li Dong recognized the positive attitude of the team and said that he would continue to adjust the details and convey the tactical concepts to the players in the next match.
After 30 rounds of games, Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard only accumulated 21 points, ranking 17th in the league. In the next four rounds of matches, the team is facing a tough relegation situation. Li Dong vowed that no matter how difficult it is, the team will insist on fighting until the last moment.
