In an interview with Oriental Sports Daily, Sichuan Jiuniu legend Zhu Baojie revealed that despite the thorny road ahead, he and his team's determination to go beyond is rock solid. He sees Shanghai Shenhua as the starting point of his career and aspires to finish it there, so he is more than a little sorry to be leaving.
In the 2023 season, Sichuan Jiuniu won the Central League title, and veteran Zhu Baojie was crowned Central League Assist King with 28 appearances, 1 goal and 10 assists.
How does Zhu Baojie feel about the feat of reaching the Super League three rounds early in the season? Did he envision such an achievement when he joined the team?
He was excited to learn that the Sichuan team will return to the top league for the first time after 17 years and be registered with the Sichuan Football Association. He was thrilled to learn that the Sichuan team would be returning to the top league. 17 years later, for the first time in China's top soccer league, a team named "Sichuan" has been registered with the Sichuan Football Association (SFA). He was thrilled by this unexpected achievement.
Indeed, at the beginning of the year we set ourselves the goal of going above and beyond, even though the process was challenging and difficult. It was not easy to reach our goal three rounds ahead of schedule. Our team is cohesive and unselfish, working only for the common goal, and it is not easy to reach it now.
You mentioned that the team faced a lot of difficulties at the beginning of the season, including the relocation to Changsha, so how did we solidify the situation step by step?
Frankly speaking, the reason why I joined Sichuan Jiuniu is because of the in-depth communication with the management, and I was deeply impressed by their ambition and determination to go beyond. The turbulence at the beginning of the season did affect us, but our determination to go beyond has never wavered. We worked together and put our hearts into it. The club's goal for this year is clear and we are determined to go beyond this year. It's also great for the development of the younger players, many of whom are eager to show their skills at a higher level.
Before I joined Sichuan Jiuniu, I had the opportunity to play in the Chinese Super League but was ultimately attracted by the club's plans and vision. Their ideas were both realistic and feasible, and I chose to come here. For this team, I see their sustainability and the new trend of Chinese soccer. Against the backdrop of the fall of the golden dollar soccer era, pragmatism has become the mainstream and survival is the hard truth.
City Football Group's focus on the Chinese soccer market is self-evident as they look to contribute to the market and show ambition. The group owns a number of clubs around the world, such as Manchester City, Melbourne Victory and Yokohama Mariners, who are all competing for league titles. In China, even though we are not in the top league at the moment, we have already won the Chinese League One and finished the Super League three rounds ahead of schedule.
Sichuan Jiuniu has never defaulted on players' wages, both salaries and bonuses are paid on time. This is rare in the Chinese soccer world, which makes us trust City Soccer Group.
The management of the club cared for us in every way. Before the match, they used their contacts to solve our problems and made us feel at home. They were there in person to support us both at home and away. They were very concerned about our food and living, and chose the best hotels to make us worry-free.
After one season, Sichuan Jiuniu has returned to the top league of Chinese soccer. The team has many experienced players in the Chinese Super League. As a player, do you think Sichuan Jiuiu Niu's super league run is inevitable?
I take it for granted. As a member of the City Football Group, we have won many honors from the club's management even though we have a foreign company behind us. Everyone is lucky to have such leaders. They are always looking out for the team and thinking about how to promote the team.
Honestly, if the management is good, the players will have a better relationship with each other. For our team, the management and the coach should do their jobs and the players should play well on the field. Everyone does his or her job well, starting from the interest of the team, following the law of soccer development and not deviating from the right track. In this way, how can the team not develop well?
In my last season at Shenhua, I was involved in a large number of matches, but ultimately failed to stay. For me, it was definitely regrettable because Shenhua was the starting point of my soccer dream. I hoped to end my career there, but it was not to be.
It's a blessing in disguise. In Sichuan Jiuniu, I have another chance to show myself in the Chinese Super League.
Yes, after 17 years, Sichuan soccer is once again standing at the top of Chinese soccer, and the Sichuan Derby. In the new season, we hope to bring more joy to Sichuan fans and get better results for the team. When I think back to making history for Sichuan soccer, I feel overwhelmed. Winning the Central League Championship seems to have become the highest honor for Sichuan soccer, and I have accomplished my mission. Next season, we look forward to unlocking the Sichuan derby. I think playing in Sichuan is worthwhile and my family is proud of it.
Over the years of my soccer career, I have had a lot of emotions. 17 years of professional soccer career, I have witnessed the ups and downs of Chinese soccer, and experienced the era of gold dollar soccer. I have witnessed the ups and downs of Chinese football, and experienced the golden dollar football era. My experience of three Super League appearances and participation in the AFC Champions League has made me deeply understand the meaning of "let nature take its course". I would like to thank my team leader Zhu Jiong for getting me to this point, without him, I may not be who I am today. At the same time, I would also like to thank my friends and teammates, I have had good times and bad times in my career, and I thank them for their support during the bad times. Now, I just want to do my best and let nature take its course.
