Shanghai Shenhua, the historic giants of the Chinese Super League, have suffered a lot of internal conflicts after experiencing the double blow of the bursting of the gold-dollar bubble and the new crown epidemic.
Shenhua club suffered from FIFA's transfer ban last season due to defaulting on foreign aid and coaching salaries, yet still maintained an extremely high level of attention. Fortunately, meritorious coach Wu Jingui was at the forefront of the situation and led Shenhua to finish relegation ahead of schedule.
This season, with the injection of funds from the Jiuzhi Group, Shenhua got rid of its debt woes, the transfer ban was lifted, and the team's form continued to climb, and is now ranked in the top three on the Chinese Super League table, a qualitative leap compared to last year.
Wu Jingui deserves a lot of credit for Shenhua's successful transition and good results. However, his limitations have also constrained the team's development. The lack of a clear tactical layout and the team's over-reliance on veterans has led to a lack of training and mediocre performances from the younger players.
Looking ahead, Wu Jingui seems to have completed his mission at Shenhua. If the club hopes to make a breakthrough next season, a change of manager is inevitable. Two coaches have already entered the Jiuzhi Group's sights.
First up is Xie Hui, a former Shenhua player with a wealth of experience and a passionate tactical style. His experience in Germany has given him valuable experience, and he has trained a large number of young players since his return to China. Xie Hui's philosophy of "striving only for the day and night" is exactly what Shenhua needs urgently.
The other is Pontes, a Portuguese who joined Shenhua as technical director in August this year, aiming to help the team build a mature tactical system while focusing on the development of young players.
Both Xie Hui and Pontes are strong candidates to succeed Wu Jingui. Xie Hui's love affair with Shenhua and Pontes' familiarity with the club make them the new leaders of the team. Let's look forward to Jiuzhi Group's choice of who will take over Wu Jingui's coaching whip and lead Shenhua to a new glory...
