April 29th in Beijing, sports weekly brought sad news: China's soccer celebrity, former national team captain Zhang Enhua due to sudden heart attack, passed away at the age of 48 years old.
Just yesterday on his 48th birthday, Zhang Enhua shared a birthday celebration dinner with his family and friends, who would have thought that this would become goodbye forever.
Zhang Enhua's last social updates were framed in terms of his love of life and his dedication to soccer.
@DalianRenWorks Football Salon announced in a sorrowful tweet, "On April 29, a generation of merit in the history of Dalian soccer, Zhang Enhua, captain, passed away due to reasons."
When the news came, the fans were heartbroken. Zhang Enhua was not only the lynchpin of Dalian winning 7 top league titles, but also the spiritual symbol of Dalian soccer. On the night of the full moon, the human world is half-empty, his wind and righteousness and teachers and friends, will always be remembered. Zhang Enhua, may you be well in another world.
Born on April 28, 1973, Zhang Enhua has been a lifelong loyalist at the center back position, playing for Dalian Shide and the national team, becoming the team's leading player.
In 1996, Zhang Enhua was selected for the national team and played with Milutinovic in the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, making 59 appearances for the national team and scoring 5 goals.
Zhang Enhua spent most of his career at Dalian Shide and its predecessor Dalian Wanda, where he was the team's main defender and a key figure in Dalian's "Seven Champions" and many cup titles. He also played briefly for England's Grimsby, Tianjin Kangshi and Hong Kong's South China.
On December 12, 2016, Shenzhen Jiazhaoye announced the hiring of Zhang Enhua as leader and Chinese coach to assist head coach Eriksson in leading the team's campaign.
