Chapter 1 The "China Derby" at the Club World Cup

In fact, not long after the game between Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim had just ended, Guangzhou Evergrande began their, and Chinese teams’, first Club World Cup match at the Agadir Stadium in Morocco.

Facing the African champion, the Asian champion Guangzhou Evergrande defeated their opponent cleanly with a score of 2:0, successfully entering the semi-finals.

When the game ended, He Ping, the commentator for CCTV, excitedly shouted, "The Chinese team has entered the semi-finals of the Club World Cup, they have created history. And in the semi-finals, they will meet Borussia Dortmund, which also creates history—a 'China Derby' at the Club World Cup!"

What the vast number of Chinese fans and media had been looking forward to for a long time was finally about to happen!

In the post-match press conference, Zheng Zhi, the captain of Guangzhou Evergrande, was of course also asked by reporters about the game.

"We are very happy to be able to reach the semi-finals. It is too early to talk about the finals. All I can say is that we will try our best to play this semi-final well. Borussia Dortmund is a very strong team, and we will also be in our best condition to compete with them..."

A reporter asked, "You played against them in the summer, will this be of any help to you?"

Zheng Zhi shook his head: "I don't think... it should be like that. Borussia Dortmund at that time is very different from Borussia Dortmund now, both in terms of lineup and mentality. So that game will not help us. On the contrary, if we use that game as a reference, I'm afraid we will lose miserably..."

Another reporter mentioned Zhou Yi.

Since Zhou Yi started playing for the Chinese team, Zheng Zhi has gradually been marginalized in the national team. Later, he was even unable to enter the national team roster. Now, under the leadership of Zhou Yi and his group of young players, the Chinese national team has reached the Brazil World Cup, and Zhou Yi's personal reputation has reached its peak. This also means that it may not be easy for Zheng Zhi to return to the national team. One phenomenon is that no one is discussing Zheng Zhi and the national team anymore. When Zhou Yi was first selected for the national team, this issue was frequently mentioned by the media and fans. But Zhou Yi quickly dispelled this idea. His performance in the national team is dominant. With such an outstanding player, where is Zheng Zhi's place?

Now Zheng Zhi seems to be at ease in Guangzhou Evergrande, focusing on the club's games, and spending the twilight years of his career like this. However, the situation took a new turn after he helped the club team win the AFC Champions League. Some voices appeared in China, believing that the Chinese national team should consider re-recruiting Zheng Zhi when they were preparing for the Brazil World Cup. On the one hand, having a veteran can add stability and experience to the team, and on the other hand, this should also be a way to reward the veteran who has served the national team and Chinese football for more than ten years.

Another argument is that if the national team's purpose is to recruit outstanding Chinese players, then why can't Zheng Zhi be recruited? In the past year, the young players who have studied abroad have performed well, but Zheng Zhi is definitely the best performing player among domestic players. Why can't he be selected for the national team?

If you are worried that Zheng Zhi's selection will compete with Zhou Yi for the team's core position, causing the team's morale to fluctuate... is the current Zhou Yi something that Zheng Zhi can shake? Such a reason is absurd.

Worried that Zheng Zhi, the veteran international, will form cliques and gangs in the locker room after joining the team? Now the biggest clique in the national team is the "overseas faction" composed of Zhou Yi, Sun Pan and others. What kind of tricks can Zheng Zhi stir up?

The media and fans have analyzed a lot, and they all believe that recruiting Zheng Zhi to prepare for the World Cup at this time will not do any harm to the national team, only good.

Zheng Zhi himself also expressed in an interview that he is still willing to win glory for the country and do his part for the Chinese national team.

But until now, the national team has not heard any intention of re-recruiting Zheng Zhi.

This inevitably makes Zheng Zhi's fans and Guangzhou Evergrande's fans feel unfair for Zheng Zhi.

And Zheng Zhi and Zhou Yi have also become a somewhat delicate topic.

They are not considered rivals now, but Zheng Zhi did lose his position in the national team because of Zhou Yi. Does Zheng Zhi himself have any complaints about Zhou Yi? At least on the surface, there has never been any news showing that the two are at odds. But what Zheng Zhi thinks in his heart, no one knows.

"Zhou Yi?" Zheng Zhi was stunned for a moment when faced with this question, and then said very generously: "He is a very, very good player, and I am also happy that we can produce such a player. He is the core of Borussia Dortmund and our trouble. We will do our best to deal with him."

"National team..." A reporter just opened his mouth, but Zheng Zhi waved his hand: "Now is the Club World Cup, not the World Cup."

He refused to answer this question.

But judging from this gesture of refusal, he really cares about the national team.

Being able to represent the Chinese team in a World Cup is also the wish of this old man of football.

When the Chinese team played in the World Cup in 2002, Zheng Zhi was only twenty-two years old. He had just emerged in Chinese football, and it was impossible for him to have a place in that national team. Although he helped the Shenzhen team win the League A championship after the national team returned from the World Cup with a feather in its cap, and was elected Chinese Footballer of the Year, becoming the youngest Footballer of the Year in Chinese football history.

Later, he was selected for the national team and quickly became the main player of the national team. The 2004 Asian Cup held in China was the closest he had been to winning a continental competition. He helped the national team reach the final, but lost to Japan in the final and only won a silver medal.

Later, rushing into the World Cup became his goal. It is a pity that when his personal skills were gradually improving and maturing, he encountered the darkest and lowest point of Chinese football. He was burdened by the overall strength of the national team, and he did not even participate in competitions such as the World Cup qualifier top ten, and participating in the World Cup was even more out of reach.

What is even more regrettable is that with the emergence of young overseas players such as Zhou Yi and Sun Pan, the overall strength of the Chinese team has been qualitatively improved, and they have the ability to compete for the World Cup qualification, but Zheng Zhi himself has been excluded from the national team. Compared with young people like Zhou Yi and Yang Muge, Zheng Zhi has no advantage.

Before this Chinese team played in the top ten, there were still voices asking Gao Hongbo to recall experienced veterans such as Li Weifeng and Zheng Zhi to escort the Chinese team's top ten. At that time, Yang Muge, Sun Pan and others had not yet entered the national team, so it was normal for everyone to have such thoughts.

Later, Li Weifeng was recalled to the national team, but Zheng Zhi was completely ignored.

Now the Chinese team has once again entered the World Cup finals, the whole country is celebrating, but it has nothing to do with Zheng Zhi.

But does he want to participate in the World Cup? Of course, he still wants to.

This can be seen from his expression of loyalty to the national team after winning the AFC Champions League.

※※※

"Zheng Zhi?" Zhou Yi turned his head and glanced at Yan Min sitting next to him.

"Yeah, yeah." Yan Min nodded repeatedly. "When I was playing football in Chongming and hadn't entered the national team yet, I heard them gossip about the national team. Someone said that Zheng Zhi was kicked out by Coach Gao because he was fighting with you for the core position in the national team. They also said that this was killing the chicken to scare the monkey..."

Zhou Yi showed a wry smile on his face when he heard Yan Min say this.

On the flight from Dortmund to Morocco, Yan Min was sitting next to him, and the two of them were chatting casually, but he didn't expect the topic to turn to such gossipy things.

"Do you think I am that kind of person?" Zhou Yi pointed to himself and asked Yan Min. "A soccer bully?"

"Of course I believe you are not. But it's not impossible for Coach Gao to do this in order to establish your core prestige..." Yan Min pouted.

Zhou Yi opened his mouth to refute, but suddenly he thought that when he first entered the national team, he had not achieved such brilliant achievements in Dortmund. He was just a newcomer who had played a few good games in Europe, and in the domestic soccer ecosystem with many factions, whether he could integrate into the national team was indeed a very realistic problem. At that time, how the media and public opinion viewed this matter when he first entered the national team, Zhou Yi still had some impressions...

So it is not unimaginable for Gao Hongbo to take some high-handed measures.

Leaving aside the motivation behind Gao Hongbo's actions, many people would indeed regard themselves as the culprit for Zheng Zhi's failure to be selected for the national team.

It's just that he is now in the limelight, and this kind of questioning and speculation will naturally not be put on the table and will not form any public opinion...

When Zhou Yi thought about it this way, he felt even more dumbfounded - he didn't do anything, but he was lying down and shot as a soccer bully.

Yan Min didn't seem to notice Zhou Yi's silence and the expression on his face, but continued to say: "...I read on the Internet that since Guangzhou won the AFC Champions League, many people have asked the national team to let Zheng Zhi rejoin the team. But I'm worried..."

Zhou Yi heard this sentence, and he asked: "Worried about what?"

"Worried about the locker room." Yan Min said. "Now the atmosphere in the locker room is actually very good. I'm worried that if Zheng Zhi comes back, there will be conflicts..."

Yan Min said it a bit euphemistically, but Zhou Yi still understood what he meant: "Are you worried that Zheng Zhi and I are at odds?"

Yan Min nodded: "That's about what I mean..."

Zhou Yi smiled: "I'm not that kind of person, and I think Zheng Zhi shouldn't be that kind of person either."

Then he patted Yan Min's arm: "Have you watched too many palace dramas? How can there be so many messy factional struggles? I don't know if Zheng Zhi will enter the national team, that's not something I can decide. But I don't think even if he really comes in one day, nothing will change. Don't think so much, the World Cup is still half a year away, but the Club World Cup is right in front of us."

Yan Min was a little surprised: "At least it's a certainty to reach the final, right? Actually, I don't think there's any suspense about the championship..."

Zhou Yi glanced at him: "When you think there's no suspense, there's often suspense. Whether the suspense exists depends on your attitude towards it. Before you decide on your attitude, it may or may not exist, or it may be in a state between 'yes' and 'no'. Only when you make your own decision will the mystery be finally revealed. This is... 'Schrödinger's suspense'."

Yan Min opened his mouth wide, looking at Zhou Yi with a solidified expression, and after a long time, he blurted out: "What are you talking about?"