On April 29, 2021, a sad news like a lightning bolt cut through the tranquility of the soccer circle, former national football player and Chinese celebrity Zhang Enhua passed away at the age of 48 years old. His career was full of splendor, he devoted himself to his studies after retirement, and witnessed countless landscapes in his life journey, which converged into one sentence - Chinese soccer.
playing time
Zero World Cup appearances become a pain in the heart
In the famous soccer city of Dalian, in addition to the northeast road elementary school in Shahekou District, the "star factory" is also hidden in Xigang District, Dalian Experimental Primary School. Here bred Zhang Enhua such a soccer talent, "Xisha war" has become a representative of school soccer, Zhang Enhua is one of the bright stars.
Zhang Enhua's soccer career has been smooth sailing, with excellent physical quality and comprehensive defensive ability, he quickly established himself in the Dalian team. His threatening headers have made him a "guard with a sword", whether in the Dalian team or at all levels of the national team, Zhang Enhua's headers are a lethal weapon when attacking.
The 2001 Top Ten was the pinnacle of the national soccer team for nearly 20 years, but the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan became a sore point in Zhang Enhua's soccer career: although he traveled with the team, he did not get a minute's chance to play in the three group matches.
Before representing the national team in the World Cup, Zhang Enhua experienced a three-month stay in China. He was loaned to England's Grimsby and made 17 appearances, scoring three goals and helping the team finish relegated from the English League One. The Grimsby team wanted to sign him officially, and there were also other Premier League and League One teams who threw out olive branches, but the Dalian team wanted him to return to the team, and the leaders of the national soccer team at that time flew to London to do his ideological work - to return to Dalian to participate in the A League, so as to better prepare for the 2002 World Cup.
Short stay in the ocean career and the absence of three World Cup tournaments, resulting in a huge pay and return contrast, then Zhang Enhua and the leadership of the Football Association had a dispute. In an interview with the Beijing News reporter, Zhang Enhua's lifelong friend Sun Chao revealed: "At that time to play in the United Kingdom involves the issue of labor permits, 'Black' only need to have another record of representing the national team in the world A-level tournament, this problem can be easily solved. But the World Cup did not play a minute, which became a thorn in his heart."
Subsequent days, Zhang Enhua experienced the trough of his career: left Dalian, faded out of the national team ...... network can not even find the "black" the exact time of retirement, can only vaguely remember that in 2006 he left Hong Kong South China, the stadium has not seen this Iron defender's figure.
Until he said in a 2014 interview with China News Weekly, "I didn't announce my retirement, I disappeared without a word."
Time is the best healing medicine. "Don't they dare let me in (the national team). I don't listen to them, they want me like this the least." Zhang Enhua said angrily during a media interview in the past, before he chose to reconcile with himself, letting go of his grudges and resentment and embarking on a path of learning and transformation.
student life
Eriksson handpicked him as an assistant coach
The year 2006 was a turning point for Zhang Enhua. He left the green field, but did not leave the soccer, in that year, he got the B coaching certificate, and soon obtained the AFC working coach certificate. Subsequently, he studied abroad at his own expense. Germany, England, Spain and other European countries left the footprints of Zhang Enhua's education, and he visited many European teams.
Unlike other players who transformed into coaches after retirement, Zhang Enhua's accumulation process was much longer. "The initial goal was to return from his studies to become a coach, but after his studies, he found that the gap between Chinese soccer is all-round compared with the strongest countries in the world, so he adjusted his goal: maybe he will be a coach, maybe he will be a manager, in short, he will be able to make an effort for the role of Chinese soccer.
While those who know Zhang Enhua's learning process expect him to achieve great success in his new field, many more fans only realized the direction of "Blackie's" efforts when he was appointed as an assistant coach of La Liga team Villarreal.
In 2016, Zhang Enhua returned to China to serve as Shenzhen Jiazhaoye's team leader and head of the Chinese coaching team, assisting manager Eriksson. At that time, the Shenzhen team's Chinese coach has a number of candidates, Eriksson personally interviewed Zhang Enhua, the two can use English to communicate without barriers, Zhang Enhua in Europe to learn the concept of soccer also made Eriksson immediately decided to let him as an assistant.
In 2017, the Shenzhen team blood change, Zhang Enhua resigned and left. 2020, the B team Guangxi Bao Yun (this year renamed Guangxi Pingguo Ha Loud and Clear) intends to invite him to coaching, but due to various reasons, the two sides ultimately failed to reach an agreement.
Independent coaching a team is Zhang Enhua's ideal, Sun Chao recalled, "He is particularly strong on the club, the team's workability requirements, he expects to be able to get the time to coach a team independently, but now ...... this ideal has become the biggest regret."
On March 12, Zhang Enhua attended Chi Shangbin's memorial service. Photo/IC photo
clarification
What Europe has learned brought in guest ball commentaries
Participated in the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, the group of international players is regarded as the national football "golden generation", after a long period of time, to the trough of the Chinese soccer sliding down to the fans have forgotten the glory of the past.
The floodgates of memories opened during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. That year, Zhang Enhua was invited to become a soccer commentator for CCTV Sports Channel, serving as a commentator alongside soccer greats Ma Mingyu and Shao Jiayi.
The simple-looking Zhang Enhua has always been conscientious in the game, and is the iron gate of the defense that makes the fans feel at ease. When he first became a commentator, he was teased for his strong Dalian accent, but his professional comments were liked by more fans. What he learned in Europe was brought into his commentaries and reviews. I heard that he also proposed to change the traditional method of commenting on the game, for the audience to explain the technical and tactical content.
2019 Asian Cup, Zheng Zhi choked up and apologized to the fans after China's defeat to Iran through the camera. As a commentator, Zhang Enhua was equally tearful on the air, "sports career is short, will cry because of staying in the field, want to take up the burden of the national team to compete." Separated by time and space, the two captains of the national football team in different eras are the same ambition.
For soccer, Zhang Enhua has unusual persistence, and under the different "stupid efforts", chose a road different from other well-known players after retirement. 2019, Zhang Enhua intends to ask people to write an autobiography for himself, finishing the past years of experience, and those who have been dusty story. Friends around him are very supportive of his idea, Sun Chao said: "Hei is worth it, he represents Dalian team won so many championships, once was the captain of the national Olympic team, the national team, the player years in Europe to stay in the ocean, retired and have coaching experience in Europe. In our eyes, he is the 'Grand Slam Player' of Chinese soccer."
Now the autobiography, just half written, comes to an abrupt end.
friendship
"Never had a black eye with a young player."
On the afternoon of April 29, too many people in the Chinese soccer community were begging for confirmation, each hoping that the bad news was a misrepresentation. "Can't bear it." A young player that Zhang Enhua once brought up wrote on social media about his feelings at the time.
Sun Chao, who confirmed the news to the New Beijing News reporter, spoke in a heavy tone, "What happened to Black is true ...... I really can't describe how I feel."
In the eyes of his friends, Zhang Enhua is very disciplined, and one of his hobbies is fitness, so he still maintains a good body shape after years of retirement.
The accident came so suddenly that it was almost too much for people to bear.
Zhang Enhua, who had a healthy style on the pitch, was easy-going in life and had friends all over the world. There are too many people in mourning, in remembrance, the World Football Federation, the Chinese national team, Dalian People's Club, Shenzhen Football Club, England Grimsby Club and other successive articles of condolence. "Old teammates, go well" is Fan Zhiyi's farewell, "has never been black with the young players" is Dong Fangzhuo's memories, and Shanghai Shenhua game with Wuhan team manager Li Xiaopeng only learned of the news after the game, said: "I'm a little bit confused in the lounge, I'm a little bit confused in the lounge. I was a little bit blinded in the lounge, we all miss him."
"Historically no one has ever said anything bad about Zhang Enhua, his reputation is very good in the circle."
Sun Chao's family and Zhang's family is a family friend, to see Zhang Enhua playing football grew up Sun Chao also had a professional player experience, talking about the big brother and old friend, Sun Chao full of respect: "He has never shelf, very modest and good to learn, full of positive energy, and many people in the Chinese soccer circle are not the same. He is the kind of character that does not rub sand in his eyes, and if he sees a problem, he will definitely express his views. 'Black' is to do something for Chinese soccer, to see things that are not used to, he will not be, because he has never been willing to 'mixed with money'."
April 28 is Zhang Enhua's 48th birthday, he sent the last circle of friends is to spend his birthday with friends, and with the text: "Thank you for the same school brother, thank you for the team brother, thank you for the good brother, shenzhen set sail." This would have been the direction of Zhang Enhua's new efforts - he had planned to devote himself to the Shenzhen youth training, this youth training club began to lay out the establishment last year, and now the system has been set up to complete, but he can no longer see the future of the club's scene.
The "final whistle" of the second half of Zhang Enhua's life came too early and too suddenly. Thank you for your presence in Chinese soccer, and good luck to you.
