In the near future.
Shanghai Shenhua (soccer team)
's local star Zhu Jianrong shared his heartfelt thoughts in an exclusive interview with Eastern Sports Daily.
Talking about the team's performance in the second stage, Zhu Jianrong said excitedly, "It's really surprising, not only because of the improved results. Compared to the first stage, the challenge we faced was more difficult, with serious injury problems that once affected the tactical execution. To achieve such results is really unexpected and is the result of the joint efforts of all Shenhua people."
Speaking about the club's shareholding reform, Zhu Jianrong revealed, "Earlier this year, we were all delighted to learn that the club was going to undergo a shareholding reform. Despite the slow progress, we were not impatient, all thanks to the commitment and support of the club's leadership and coaching team, which gave us confidence in the future. This confidence translated into consistent performances on the pitch and the fact that the city leaders came to console us. Right now, we are doing okay, but we are determined to keep fighting and give back to the community with our best performance. Hopefully, the share reform will progress steadily, and for now, the team is confident about the future."
"The team's success is not the sole work of the coaching staff and players, but the club managers behind the scenes. Mr. Wu and Mr. Zhou have been under tremendous pressure. When I see the team underachieving, they are always at the forefront, bearing the abuse and criticism. This year, it is time for the leadership to hear our applause as we have achieved such results under such difficult conditions."
In the face of external skepticism, Zhu Jianrong firmly responded, "My first year of joining Shenhua, in 2017, the outside world is constantly questioning us. My teammates Li Peng and Wang Wei and I were under tremendous pressure, and the two reinforcement leaders were under even more pressure. Today, all three of us have a stable position in the Chinese Super League, which proves our strength. Although not in the same team, we all proved ourselves on different stages."
