When Gao Zheng arrived in Xi'an, China, Sampdoria also lost 1:2 to Fiorentina away, and the league ranking fell to tenth.

But it is still quite far from the relegation zone. The three teams in the relegation zone now have single-digit league points.

Gao Zheng was warmly welcomed by fans at the airport in Xi'an.

When he walked out of the exit, hundreds of fans from all over the country had gathered in the pick-up hall outside.

It's Sunday and many people don't have to go to work.

They gave Gao Zheng enthusiastic cheers and applause.

After the last game against Indonesia, Gao Zheng has become a hero in the minds of Chinese fans.

Just as many years ago, when he won the best in the country in the AC Milan junior team, the Italian media commented on him that he was a player who "can change the future of Chinese football."

But after going around for so many years, it is only more sad that I have re-matched such a title.

After the last game between the Chinese team and Indonesia, a football novel author "Lin Haitingtao" lamented that Gao Zheng and Chinese football had wasted too much time. He believed that if Gao Zheng had not suffered that serious injury and continued his form until now, Gao Zheng would not be a newcomer who had just emerged in Europe at least, and the Chinese team would not have missed the upcoming 2014 Brazil World Cup.

However, his view has also been opposed by some netizens. Some people think that Gao Zheng alone cannot lead the virtues of Chinese football. If Gao Zheng is added, Chinese football will not change qualitatively. They even think that Chinese football will drag down Gao Zheng in turn, and are worried that the Football Association will squeeze Gao Zheng like a livestock, and even some irrelevant friendly matches will allow Gao Zheng to fly back from Italy to play.

Think about how Yang Chen, who was in Frankfurt, was ruined by Chinese football? Why did Magath not use Yang Chen later? Who would have to go back to China to play some irrelevant friendly matches and therefore wasted physical fitness and energy on the journey?

After all, the Frankfurt Club is the one who pays the salary. The Chinese Football Association, which does not give a penny, is not polite at all to use Frankfurt players.

Because of the various bad things that the Chinese Football Association has been doing for so many years, it is normal for Chinese fans to have such a mentality towards them.

But whether it is hope that Gao Zheng will change the future of Chinese football or pessimistic concern that Gao Zheng will be scrapped by the large dyeing vat of Chinese football, it is all out of concern for Gao Zheng himself.

It can also reflect Gao Zheng's position in the minds of Chinese fans.

After Gao Zheng arrived in Xi'an to meet with the national team, every time the national team was trained, the outside of the field was filled with fans and crowds.

Xi'an fans are famous for their enthusiasm for football, but there are no professional teams in the top leagues in the local area, and everyone's enthusiasm for football has nowhere to vent. This time, the Chinese team chose Xi'an as their home court, and hopes to make full use of the fanaticism of Xi'an fans and create the best home atmosphere.

Judging from the training, Xi'an fans did not disappoint the national team.

But Xi'an fans are so enthusiastic that they put a lot of pressure on the team - in front of such enthusiastic fans, can you even be reasonable if you can't even take Indonesia?

Chinese players generally have poor psychological qualities. Facing huge pressure, they may even perform abnormally.

Before the game, Fu Bo repeatedly emphasized to his players that "don't underestimate the enemy."

Because in the last game, the Chinese team easily defeated Indonesia away, which would definitely lead to some people's thoughts of contempt for the opponent of Indonesia, which is very fatal.

Even if there is Gao Zheng, if other players are not good, the game will be difficult to play.

For this reason, Fu Bo also gave an example of the Chinese team's match against the Maldives in the World Cup qualifiers, telling everyone the importance and necessity of not underestimating the enemy.

On April 22, 2001, the Chinese team led by Milutinovic ushered in the first game of the Chinese team's World Cup in Xi'an. The Chinese team's opponent was the amateur team Maldives.

Everyone was optimistic before the game. There was no suspense about the outcome of this game. The suspense was that the Chinese team could win at home. Some fans simply wrote the score he expected on themselves: 18:0.

Someone else predicts that the score will be 20:0.

Although the Chinese team scored three goals in the first half, the fans were not satisfied. There were also some boos at the scene. Because in the hearts of Chinese fans, their goals were all eighteen goals and twenty goals, and they only scored three goals in the first half. How to achieve the goal of eighteen goals and twenty goals?

Not to mention that in the second half, the Maldives seized the opportunity of the Chinese team's defensive line being inconspicuous and took advantage of the only counterattack opportunity in the whole game to break through the Chinese team's goal.

Although the Chinese team eventually defeated the Maldives 10-1, the concealment of the ball was like a fishbone, stuck in the throats of all Chinese fans.

After the Maldives scored a goal, there were applause and cheers from Chinese fans. This was not the respect the Chinese fans gave to the Maldives team, but the irony of the Chinese team's poor defense line.

Although I won this game, the performance of the national team after the game was criticized by fans and the media. Questions about Milutinovic followed, and some even called the old Serbian man a "liar".

Some people also say that a national team that can be scored by the Maldives has zero hope of rushing to the World Cup and is not worthy of appearing in the World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

Later, the Chinese team challenged the Maldives away, and played even more ugly, and finally won only 1:0.

There were also cracks inside the national team. Hao Haidong bombarded Milutinovic in public at that time, questioning his ability as the head coach of the national team. At that time, everyone thought Milutinovic was going to get out, and the Chinese team would once again fail on the road to the World Cup.

But everyone knows the story later.

Milutinovic and Hao Haidong made up their past grudges, and this old man, who was once called a "liar", led the Chinese team to the World Cup finals for the first time in historic.

Back to the match between the Chinese team and the Maldives team itself, although the Chinese team won both games, they were not satisfied, and even the most dissatisfied people stood.

Because in the minds of many people, it is normal for the Chinese team to win with the strength gap between the Maldives and the Chinese team, and winning is beautiful is everyone's pursuit. As a result, because of pride and underestimating the enemy, the Chinese team made mistakes in both games.

Nowadays, the overall strength of the Chinese team is not as good as the Chinese team twelve years ago, and the opponent Indonesia is stronger than that of the Maldives. If the Chinese team does not value the opponent and underestimate the enemy, then once the situation is not opened at home, the enthusiastic support of the home fans will in turn become huge pressure and crush the Chinese team.

This is not alarmist. In the past history of the Chinese team, there are countless examples of this.

Fu Bo does not want to ruin big things because of being proud of underestimating the enemy when he has a good situation.

So he repeatedly emphasized this.

Looking at the head coach's serious and thoughtful look, Gao Zheng expressed his opinion: "Don't worry, coach, I guarantee to win the game."

Gao Zheng is not the captain, and he is a bit of an indirect statement when he says this.

However, no one came out to express his dissatisfaction with Gao Zheng.

What are you dissatisfied with? He is young and promising, has outstanding strength, and has a very decent status. He doesn't have to compete with everyone in China for food. He won so much respect in Europe alone... He is dissatisfied with him, and it will not be Gao Zheng's loss, but a scandal of the dissatisfied person.

※※※

Before the game, the Chinese team had a pre-match press conference.

This time, the most popular Gao Zheng attended with head coach Fu Bo.

As the team's head coach, Fu Bo first introduced the team's preparations, and then the press conference entered the reporter's questioning session.

The initial question was asked by the head coach. After Fu Bo answered two questions, the reporters began to ask Gao Zheng - in fact, they wanted to interview Gao Zheng from the beginning, but considering Fu Bo's face and dignity as the head coach, they still held back.

You should know that the biggest card in the national team is Gao Zheng now.

After Gao Zheng answered two questions, a male reporter raised his hand: "I am a reporter from Fox Sports, I want to ask..."

But before he finished speaking, Gao Zheng made a "stop" gesture: "What's your name?"

The male reporter was stunned, and everyone was stunned. When everyone got up to interview, they introduced themselves and said, "I am a reporter from a certain unit." Gao Zheng did not ask for the name of someone, but this time he suddenly asked for the name of the questioner.

Some people who know the identity of this male reporter have realized something, including the reporter himself, so he did not answer Gao Zheng's question, but said: "My name does not affect my work..."

Obviously unwilling to say it.

Gao Zheng shook his head: "No, no, no, your name has a lot of influence on your work. I want to confirm whether your name is Xu Jiang?"

This person remained silent in the face of Gao Zheng's problem.

But Gao Zheng did not find anyone to confirm the matter just because the other party didn't say anything. He turned around and asked the press officer of the national team: "Teacher Li, is this person Xu Jiang?"

The job of Li Qiang, the national team news officer, is to deal with these journalists all day long. He can name every reporter interviewing the national team and recognize it. It is impossible to "not recognize".

Li Qiang hesitated for a moment, nodded and said, "He is Xu Jiang."
Chapter completed!