Wild East Football is always interested in bringing our readers more diverse coverage. The following is an interview with Guizhou Renhe’s GM Yang Xiaoyu that was featured in the Saturday edition of the Qian Zhong Morning News. We decided to translate it for you and share it today as a look at what’s going on with the southwest club as they prepare for their first ever ACL match this evening.
Qian Zhong Morning News: First off, summarize your thoughts about the past season.
Yang Xiaoyu: This past season we took a major step forward by reaching the Asian Champions League, it was a tremendous affirmation of how strong our side is, but most of all I want to thank the fans in Guizhou for their support.
QZMN: The new season appears to be a major test for Guizhou, what do you think about this?
Yang: Finishing as well as we did last year gives us an added push in the new season, but it also adds pressure. This year, we’ll have to deal with multiple competitions and we’re a side with no previous ACL experience, the team will will need to play with passion and skill.
QZMN: What are the club’s goals this year?
Yang: Regarding the ACL, we’ve said it many times, we want to strive to get out of the group stage and well represent Chinese football on the Asian stage. This year’s CSL will be more intense than ever before as many teams have grown very strong, so our goal is to once again qualify for the ACL. Every team wants to win a championship, last year we came so close to winning the CFA Cup, we hope that this year we’ll do even better.
QZMN: Please tell us a little about the preparations for the new season.
Yang: Ever since the end of last season, we started preparing for this year, both on and off the pitch, bringing in new signings and going through winter training. After the past two months of training, the team is pretty much back to full strength and enthusiastic about the new challenges before them.
QZMN: Before the end of the year, Guizhou was able to make an impressive addition, as Bosnian Zvjezdan Misimović joined the club, but fans are unhappy about the club’s domestic signings so far, what are your thoughts on this?
Yang: Yu Rui, Fan Yunlong, and Shi Liang are lacking in CSL experience, but we’ve had an eye on them for a long time and believe in their potential. After gaining a bit more experience, they will definitely be able to help the squad.
QZMN: Liu Tianqi wasn’t included in the ACL roster, is he injured?
Yang: Yes, he’s had an injury since the end of last season. Last year, he was involved in a lot of matches and played well for us, although he wasn’t included in the ACL roster, we see hi as a big part in the CSL and CFA Cup.
QZMN: Guizhou’s first ACL match against Kashiwa Reysol is just days away, what are your thoughts on the match?
Yang: The first match sees us host the Emperor’s Cup winners, we’re very excited to kick off the ACVL campaign, but everyone knows the quality of Japanese sides. This will definitely be a test, but we’re prepared to play our brand of football
QZMN: Will Zheng Long be joining the side?
Yang: We have been in touch with him before, but I can tell you that 100% the reports on the internet about this matter (saying Guizhou have bought Zheng Long for RMB10 million and a loan deal of Li Kai) are untrue, there’s nothing more to it.
QZMN: Is there something you’d like to say to the Guizhou fans?
Yang: Thank you to all the Guizhou fans for their passion and support over the past year, the fans are truly the ones who are the “owners’ of the stadium, we hope that the new season will see the fans continue to come out and support the team, it’s also a source of power for us.
