By Xu Yi, Special Correspondent
On March 23, the day that was meant to be the day the Chinese Football Association (CFA) releases its access list for the third tier of the league, the possibility of Zhejiang making up for the Chinese Super League is a mystery. Since October 30, 2016 since the relegation, Zhejiang in the Central League time has accumulated to 1605 days, if you can return to the Premier League, this will be the team following the 2010 Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals and into the foot of the fake football was ordered to be relegated, once again by the "God of fortune" favor, become the only two times "be replaced "Return to the Chinese Super League club. However, the list was not announced that day, about the Zhejiang team is to play in the Chinese Super League or the Chinese A, is still in suspense.
Nonetheless, Zhejiang is currently operating in a stable manner and has become a club that many players aspire to, and even if they are unable to play in the Chinese Super League this year, the future is still full of hope.
On October 30, 2016, Song Weiping, the founder of Greentown Football, experienced the pain of relegation on the podium of Huanglong Sports Center. On this day, Greentown drew 2-2 with Yanbian at home and was unfortunately relegated. Song Weiping has a deep memory of this, on October 31, 2009, Green City lost 0-4 to Guoan on the road, the team was also relegated to the Central League. At that time, Song Weiping sat on the team's bench, said sitting there can be more close to feel the game, hear the sound of the ball hitting the shin guards, the players on the field shouting. As chairman of the board, he felt he had the primary responsibility and could not escape.
In the end, Song Weiping saw another team with green as the main color of their home jerseys step on Greentown to ascend to the Chinese Super League title, while his own team was relegated. After the match, Song Weiping said he walked out of the stadium with a calm heart and considered it a relief.
At that time, the coach leading the team was Wu Jingui, but he failed to save the team in 7 rounds. Some media asked Song Weiping to evaluate Wu Jingui, and he said, "The good or bad of China's coaches needs a complete process to do the proof." As a result of the match-fixing, Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals and Chengzheng Football were relegated, while Greentown returned to the Chinese Super League on a replacement basis, and Wu Jingui led Greentown to the 4th place, qualifying for the AFC Champions League, but Song Weiping didn't comment too much on this.
Unlike six years ago at Gongti, this time at Huanglong, Song Weiping didn't stick around until the end, leaving the podium after the first half, perhaps anticipating the fruits of his team's relegation.
Fans held banners that read "Starting Over", a farewell that could almost be predicted in advance, but no one knew that they were, for once, in the Central League for four years of silence.
When the team was relegated in 2016, the head coach was Hong Myung-bo. Whether he coached the South Korean national Olympics in the past or is now returning to Ulsan, he has proved that this former idol of South Korean soccer is a good coach. Greentown 2016 relegation, on the one hand, because Chinese soccer has entered the era of burning money, rational investment in the transfer market, they do not have any capital, and even many of the main players have been poached by other salons; on the other hand, Greentown has always insisted on the policy of reuse of young people, and sometimes it seems that the "National Games is more important than the league" way of employing, it is difficult for people to understand. It is difficult to let people understand.
Hong Mingfu stayed on as head coach after the team was relegated, but even in the Central League, Greentown had a tough go of it.
In addition to the league in 2017, Greentown soccer has another important mission - to represent Zhejiang in the National Games. Song Weiping has a goal, is to get Zhejiang's first National Games soccer championship. Therefore, the controversial "league for the National Games training" policy was introduced, a number of players born in 1997-1998 were promoted to the first team to fight in the Central League, Greentown also became the smallest team in the average age of China's professional league.
Young always have to pay the price, down to the first year of the Central League, Greentown once 6 rounds of the embarrassing record of not winning extended to 12 rounds, in the face of such a situation, Greentown still chose to save up to operate the youth training, and Hong Mingfu, but in May dismissed.
As executive coach is the green city 1997-98 age group team creator, known as the green city "godfather of youth training" of the hometown coach Xu Lei.
Xu Lei inaugurated, is a sign of Greentown continue to focus on youth training, 1998 to Greentown football, 10 years after retirement, coincided with the formation of Greentown u11 (1997-1998 age group) team, Song Weiping let him as a coach. With young players out of the Central League, the first time to face the professional league Xu Lei, the difficulties are great, good in Song Weiping and salon, have given him great support, he also held on, ahead of the completion of the relegation mission.
If 2017 was a practice run after relegation, then by 2018, Green City's 20th anniversary, Sharon had plans for a return to the Premier League.
January 14, 2018, Greentown held a celebration at the base of Zhongtai to celebrate the 20th birthday, the video, Greentown a team of players, with a childish voice to send a blessing, under the field of Song Weiping, has been smiling, 20 years ago, Greentown soccer took root in Zhejiang, 20 years later, these seedlings, has become his trust and expectations.
At that time, to see so many Greentown soccer people reunited, Song Weiping said: "These days, I have also contacted some other coaches, like Wu Jingui and others, they can not come due to various reasons, Greentown soccer thanks to all the support and pay people, it is their help, Greentown soccer has come to today."
However, at that time Song Weiping, there is a regret, "the team in the Central League over the 20th birthday, I still feel not too happy, Greentown to do things, that is, to do the best, to do the first brand, and now the most regrettable, is that the team is still in the second level (league)."
In Song Weiping's opinion, Greentown's youth training is passable or good, but the results are just passable. Regarding the team's future, Song Weiping said, "I expect that within 10 years, we will not only be in the cutting-edge league, but also in the top team. Playing the AFC Champions League is also possible, as is winning the AFC Cup and the Chinese Super League, which are all things to strive for. We, the 50 after doing soccer is just like this, in the future we have to rely on the 60 after taking the 80 after to manage the salon and the team, and expect to do better than us."
That year, Barcelona star Sergi became the head coach of Greentown, and the team was still 2 points ahead of 3rd place Shenzhen Football in the final round, which meant that they only needed to beat Meizhou Hakka on the road in the final round, and they would surely be able to break through to the Super League as the 2nd place.
Less than six minutes after the start of the game, the field on two small clashes, Hakka is not at all like a promotion without hope of relegation, "no desire" team, the 30th minute, the home team opened the record, Martins equalized before the end of the half, the 60th minute, Hakka again rebounded after even the goalkeeper was so excited that they rushed to the foreground to participate in the celebration. ......
When the final whistle blew, Greentown lost the game away from home 1-2, many players fell to the ground, Dino walked to the bench could no longer hold on, sat on his butt on the chair, picked up a towel over his face and sobbed, a few staff members could not be persuaded, and many players also cried, Dong Yu and even teammates to help walk to the sidelines, due to the whole team are going to thank the more than 400 fans who have come a long way to thank them, and it is they, over the years, to give the team the motivation to move forward. The team's motivation to move forward.
On that night when sadness spread, the players' hustle, still won recognition, and as the bus slowly drove away in the chilly evening, the fans collectively chanted, "Greentown don't cry, come back next year!"
It may be the greatest pain in the world to be defeated at the last moment and be left to cry, but even though the world leaves one bruised and battered, the scars will eventually become the hardest part of the body.
In the middle of 2019, Serge stepped down, and Zheng Xiong, the hometown coach and former team leader, took over the coaching whip. Zheng Xiong is "old Greentown", in the position of assistant coach and team leader, did many years, in the situation of foreign coach with the team to exceed the fruitless situation, Greentown put the expectations on the hometown coach, but because it is halfway to take over, that year, Greentown in the Central League only won the 6th place, no chance of exceeding the super.
In 2020, due to the epidemic, the Central League also became a conference system.
Greentown finally got the second place and qualified for the Super League playoff with Wuhan. The first round of the play-offs was one of the most energizing matches that Greentown has played in recent years. With more than 1,000 Zhejiang fans calling for cheers, they were 0-2 down in the first half, and finally equalized 2-2, and the second goal was scored in extra time. The game greatly boosted the team's morale, and also made the fans full of expectations for Greentown's superhighway - in any case, they are not willing to miss the opportunity again.
But the reality is cruel, the second round of the Super League playoff competition to the 25th minute, Wuhan was awarded a penalty kick opportunity, captain Li Xing penalty shot, and this, the only goal of the match, Wuhan to two rounds of 3-2 total score of relegation success.
After the match, Greentown collected relevant information and appealed against the referee's decision, especially the penalty kick. Greentown thought that it was intolerable for a salon that has continued to make stable investment in soccer for more than 20 years, a salon that has been focusing on youth training to make silent dedication to the future of Chinese soccer, to lose the chance to reach the Super League due to the referee's penalty - but the result, it cannot be changed.
After the failure of the Super League, Greentown "3 years back to the Super League" program dashed, salon once again reminiscent of the dream, "Although we have left regrets in Suzhou, but this is by no means the end, but we start from the beginning of the takeoff. We firmly believe that the spring of Zhejiang soccer is coming, Greentown will become the glory of Zhejiang."
In September last year, Zhejiang Energy Group took over Song Weiping Greentown 50% shares, they and Greentown Real Estate Group together, become the two major shareholders of the salon, salon "not bad money".
Song Weiping, who still holds part of Greentown Real Estate Group, has lost absolute control over Salon. But as the founder of Salon, the investor will certainly not ignore Song Weiping's opinion, and he has not forgotten about the team, which he kept an eye on during the play-offs at the end of last year.
Previously, Song Weiping to the staff put forward one of his expectations, "before I retire, expect you to get a championship". Zhejiang rational and standard operation, many players want to come, Gu Chao this return, is a good example, the future, rational investment will become the main theme, Zhejiang soccer, it is possible to complete Song Weiping's dream of the championship?
Just now, Zhejiang also have to wait, because they do not know, they play this season is the Chinese Super League, or the Chinese A ......
