On February 23rd, a fresh news about the Chinese national team spread all over the sports circle: the new national team training list was unveiled, with a total of 39 players selected. Notably, Guangzhou's skipper and player Zheng Zhi was still on the list. Veteran media personality Pan Weili said on social media platforms that if Zheng Zhi plays the remaining two matches of the 12-team tournament with the national football team, he is afraid that he will not be able to return to coach the Guangzhou team until the end of April.
In his personal account, Pan Weili revealed, "The national soccer coaching team still has Zheng Zhi's figure, which indicates that Zheng Zhi will not be able to return to coach the Guangzhou team before the end of April. It's all up in the air as to who will take over during Evergrande's preparations, or whether Zheng Zhi will remain in his post."
Last December, Guangzhou officially announced Zheng Zhi as team manager and player, marking a new chapter in his career. In the new season, Guangzhou first terminated the contracts of five naturalized players, and then announced a salary limit for the team, with the intention of letting younger players take on more responsibility.
What's more, a number of international players whose contracts with Guangzhou are expiring are rumored to be about to leave the team, such as Liu Dianzha and Deng Hanwen, who are reported to be about to join Wuhan Sanzhen. The prospect of the Guangzhou team, which focuses on young players in the new season, is not optimistic.
If Zheng Zhi can not return to the team to participate in the winter training, this is afraid that the impact on the Guangzhou team is difficult to estimate. In fact, the probability is that the Guangzhou team will be taken over by Liu Zhiyu. In last season's Championship Group matches, although Zheng Zhi was appointed as the head coach, it was Liu Zhiyu who actually commanded the team off the field. Under their joint leadership, the Guangzhou team showed remarkable fighting power in the crisis. How Guangzhou team will perform in the new season has become the focus of many fans' attention. (DD)
