Chapter 2: First Meeting

Guangzhou Evergrande chose Marbella as the location for winter training because this small Spanish city has a pleasant climate and four seasons like spring, and many teams from all over the world gather here for winter team training every winter, especially the teams from Eastern Europe and Russia, which have long and snowy winters. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

Naturally, the team can't train in-house all winter, and there are always games to test the results of training. And in such a place where the team is gathered, it is easy to find opponents for high-quality warm-up games.

At a locally rented training ground for Guangzhou Evergrande, Li Qingshan saw head coach Marcello Lippi, a 65-year-old Italian veteran with silver hair standing on the sidelines, wearing a pair of round-rimmed glasses and seemingly holding a cigar in his mouth perpetually.

Known as the 'Silver Fox', his playing career was uneventful, but he began a legendary coaching career in charge of Sampdoria in 1982, with Lippi winning five Serie A titles, three cup trophies, four Italian Super Cups and one Champions League title during his eight years at Juventus. In 2006, the Silver Foxes led the Italian national team to win the World Cup. He is a true champion coach.

In May 2012, Guangzhou Evergrande Football Club hired Lippi as the head coach, which can also be said to be the largest foreign coach hired by a Chinese team.

Lippi looked at Li Qingshan, who was a full head taller than him, and the muscles of his arms and thighs that were propped up in his short-sleeved training clothes.

In Lippi's tactical thinking, defensive counterattacks and the combination of wings and centres have always occupied an important part. He established his own dynasty at Juventus, relying on the "3.5 back system" he established, the so-called 3.5 back is to strengthen the attack of the full-back without affecting the defense. While one full-back stepped forward, the other full-back shrunk to form a complete defence with the two centre-backs, and his teammates, who had not weakened much in the team's defensive system, stepped up the attack on the wings.

The center has always been an important role in his tactical system. In Guangzhou Evergrande, despite the introduction of Barrios, the Paraguayan striker has not found good form in Guangzhou for more than half a season, and he has also suffered frequent injuries. This has always left Lippi a little worried about his reserves in the centre-forward position.

Due to the restrictions on foreign aid in the Chinese Super League, the strong household registration book is always more important than foreign aid, because when only four foreign players can be on the field at the same time, the other seven Chinese teams that build the team structure determine where the team's bottom line is.

At this time, in an office at the training ground, Lippi, Madaloni, Li Qingshan, and an Italian translator were talking.

"First of all, congratulations, you got your first professional contract."

Lippi first stretched out his hand to Li Qingshan, and his attitude seemed very kind.

Li Qingshan's first impression of the Italian coach is not bad.

"Thank you, Mr. Lippi." Despite the presence of an interpreter, Li Qingshan expressed his gratitude in English.

As a player, English is a very important skill - Li Qingshan studied in the UK for half a year, and his level of spoken English has naturally improved a lot.

Lippi was even more satisfied when he heard Li Qingshan's answer in English, after all, a player who can communicate with him without a translator is more comfortable to use on his own.

"From today onwards, you will be my player."

"It's my pleasure, Mr. Lippi, because when I was a kid I used to watch the teams you coached." Li Qingshan complimented his new boss a little, but he didn't lie, Serie A has been broadcast live on TV in China for a long time, and Li Qingshan has also watched the live broadcast of Serie A games since he was a child.

Lippi was very satisfied with Li Qingshan's answer, he nodded: "Very good, assistant coach Madaloni will take you to collect the training equipment first, and then I will ask the captain of the team, Zheng Zhi, to take you to the locker room to report." ”

Li Qingshan glanced at Madaloni, who was standing next to him, and nodded.

Li Qingshan is full of longing for the meeting with his new teammates and the upcoming career at Guangzhou Evergrande. You know, before that, he was just an ordinary amateur player, but now he has to become teammates with a group of international players of the Chinese national team. Here he will get the chance to play in a professional league, where he will have the opportunity to score goals and celebrate in front of tens of thousands of live viewers, millions or even tens of millions of television viewers..........

He will make a name for himself in the Chinese Super League, winning the Chinese Super League, the AFC Champions League and even the Club World Cup...... When the time comes, it is indispensable for the giant team to cry and shout to sign him, and then he will worry about whether to go to Manchester United or Real Madrid or Bayern.......

Of course, these are just his visions, and in order to achieve these goals, he first needs to do ...... Meet his teammates.

After receiving the equipment, Madaloni handed Li Qingshan over to Zheng Zhi, the captain of the team.

The captain of Guangzhou Evergrande and the Chinese national team, now 33 years old, made his debut in the Liaoning team and transferred to the Shenzhen team in 2001 and became the main force of the team. In 2002, the Shenzhen team won the runner-up of the A-League that year, and Zheng Zhi, who was only 22 years old, was awarded the Chinese Footballer of the Year. In 2005, Zheng Zhi joined Shandong Luneng team, then in 2006 on loan to Charlton Athletic in the English Premier League, began his football career in England, and returned to China in 2010 to join Guangzhou Evergrande.

It can be described as a player with rich experience and good strength, even at the age of thirty-three, he is also an indispensable core player in the Guangzhou Evergrande team. However, what he is most talked about is an unfortunate thing, on June 8, 2006, in the Sino-French friendly match before the World Cup in Germany, the game just went on for 10 minutes, Cisse suffered misfortune in the process of fighting with Chinese captain Zheng Zhi, the French striker was kicked by Zheng Zhi behind him and broke his right leg, and his expression fell to the grass in extreme pain. HE WAS EVEN NAMED ONE OF THE "TOP 10 VILLAINS IN WORLD FOOTBALL" BY MAXIM FOR THIS INCIDENT.......

Zheng Zhi, who is one meter eight tall, looked up at Li Qingshan.

He was no less surprised to see that he had signed an amateur player, no less than he had been surprised to hear that the amateur had scored two goals for Liverpool and Manchester United. However, when he heard that he was a player that coach Lippi had asked to sign, he did not express his surprise, after all, there are certain advantages to impressing the world champion coach.

As a senior, Zheng Zhi can't show his surprise if he wants to pose as a big brother, but other Guangzhou Evergrande players don't have these concerns. They looked at Li Qingshan with scrutinizing eyes. The big man in front of him looks a little taller and stronger, and he can actually break the goals of Liverpool and Manchester United?

Under the skeptical gaze of Guangzhou Evergrande players, Li Qingshan began his first meeting with his teammates.