After the breakup of Suning, Zhang Yan moved to Chengdu Rongcheng, and within a short time he had secured his place as the team's starting goalkeeper. However, as the season progressed, Zhang Yan's position in the team was shaken. Recently, Zhang Yan was able to return to Chengdu Rongcheng's starting lineup due to an injury to his main goalkeeper Tao.
In the last round of the league, Chengdu Rongcheng narrowly beat Tianjin Jinmen Tiger 3-2 at home. A series of goals conceded at the end of the match led to Zhang Yan being blamed by Chengdu fans after the match. In the face of the fans' accusations, Zhang Yan reacted surprisingly and spoke out against the fans who questioned him, provoking the fans' anger.
Subsequently, Zhang Yan deleted his reply message, but Guo's remarks about shutting down the comment function spread quickly on social media, again sparking discontent among fans. Many Chengdu fans have called on the Rongcheng club to severely punish Zhang Yan. The senior management of Chengdu Rongcheng Club also responded quickly, severely criticizing Zhang Yan and imposing an internal suspension on him.
In the upcoming Chinese Super League (CSL), Rongcheng head coach Xu Zhengyuan is forced to use the third goalkeeper Geng Xiaofeng, who has not yet recovered from his injury. 37-year-old Geng Xiaofeng is from the youth training system of Luneng, and has played for a number of Chinese Super League (CSL) teams such as Shandong Taishan, Shanghai Shenhua, Hebei Huaxia Happiness (Hebei), and Wuhan Sanzhen.
After the Hebei team was disbanded, Geng Xiaofeng joined Chengdu Rongcheng in the 2022 season and was once the team's starting goalkeeper. However, he has gradually withdrawn from the starting lineup over the past two seasons and has not represented the team in the Chinese Super League this season. The outbreak of the Zhang Yan incident and Towers' injury problems have given him a chance to play again. Expect the 37-year-old veteran to play well in the match and help Chengdu Rongcheng beat Zhejiang at home to finish his career in style!
