Interview with Dalian InBev coach Li Guoxu: At that moment, I smelled the sea

Reporter Liu Xiangyu reports The 2024 season of the Chinese League came to an end, and Dalian InBev completed the final round. Head coach Li Guoxu led the team that was not favored at the beginning of the season all the way, and on the basis of their continuous "promotion" in the previous two years, they completed the breakthrough with the second place in the middle league, achieving a "triple jump" in three years. Recently, the reporter interviewed Li Guoxu in Dalian.

Li Guoxu is a native of Dalian, and played for Dalian Wanda and other teams when he was a player. After retiring as a player, he worked as an assistant coach at Dalian Albin FC and the U19 national youth team. In 2022, he took over the new team Dalian Reading Team (now renamed Dalian InBev Team) and began to coach independently. In the 2023 season, he led the team to the Central League and was elected the best coach in the second division that season. In the 2024 season, he was twice elected Coach of the Month in the Chinese League. In the 2024 season, in the last round of the Chinese League, with the cheers of more than 60,000 fans, Dalian InBev defeated Jiading Huilong 2-1 and advanced to the Chinese Super League.

Li Guoxu took a low-cost civilian team to the extreme, and Dalian InBev did not take advantage of the top five teams, but almost all the points they deserved against the middle and lower teams. While Li Guoxu brought Dalian football back to the top league stage, he also brought up a group of young players, and the rapid growth of Zhu Pengyu and Mao Weijie is also Dalian's harvest.

On the eve of May Day in 2024, Li Guoxu is on the list of Dalian model workers (advanced workers) and advanced collectives selected and commended. Before Li Guoxu, only Chi Shangbin in the Dalian football circle had won the title of "Model Worker". Li Guoxu, like his predecessors, re-erected the banner of Dalian football.

◆Football: As an assistant coach, you have followed Dalian Football twice in a row, and now as the head coach, you have completed a breakthrough in three years of triple jumping, what is the difference between the two experiences?

Li Guoxu: My experience has taught me to think from someone else's point of view. I worked as a teaching assistant in Dalian for five years. During that time, we were able to achieve some results through the optimization and combination of competitions and personnel.

Of course, leading the team independently has always been my aspiration, and that means leaving my comfort zone. Some people may have been an assistant coach all their lives and have not become a head coach, don't look at it as just "a bench distance", but in fact, they are two completely different jobs.

◆From the perspective of the outside world, InBev seems to be a matter of course in terms of fame and strength, but those who really know Dalian football know that this year is actually very difficult, right?

The outside world's impression of Dalian football is too high. In fact, Dalian football talents have long been cut off, and the "heritage" is almost gone. At first, I stayed in the Albin echelon for a year, then went to the 97 National Youth League, and then became the head of football in a region in Dalian. I went through the Dalian players from top to bottom and found that the talent was out of gear.

◆Why is this happening?

I think Dalian football has not kept up with the pace of Jinyuan football, not because the money has not kept up, but because the concept has not kept up. Jinyuan Football has actually pushed Chinese professional football forward. In those years, high-level foreign coaches such as Lippi brought advanced concepts, not only football skills and tactics, but also management thinking. But at that time, Dalian's football concept was still stuck in the past, including the understanding of football, which was operated according to the previous model, while other clubs had already tried according to the new model.

The current Dalian has neither the advantages of the previous sports school nor the professionalism of the club, and there is no one in Dalian to play football. When I took over the team, I was left with players over the age of 35, and some of the players who played went to other Super League teams.

Moreover, many players at that time were skeptical about the future of Dalian InBev. The club's investors do not have a lot of money and lack of professional football experience, so the players have a lot of doubts. In the end, most of the players who stayed behind were at the end of their careers, their homes were also in Dalian, and there were players from the former China Second Division. The good news is that there are some young players with a lot of potential to fill the squad.

◆Football: As a promoted horse, how did InBev prepare for this season?

Li Guoxu: The beginning of this year was the most difficult period in the entire football history of Dalian, first Dalian people were disbanded, and everyone's hopes were gone. The change of our club, the new investors coming in have requirements for capital control, and the winter training conditions are not ideal, our coaching staff will try to bring the Dalian players back as much as possible under such circumstances. At that time, the first stage of winter training was in Dalian, and after the New Year, I went to Suzhou to practice for three weeks, and then returned to Dalian after a stage of training in Rizhao.

◆Six wins and one draw in the first seven rounds of the Chinese League, which actually reflects the good effect of winter training.

This is due to the fact that we have a complete training system and a style of football, and the success of these three seasons is also based on this. I think we should take the opportunity to redefine the style of Dalian football. Dalian football has never lacked tradition, but it lacks the combination with modern football. The personality of Dalian people is very simple and direct, and they don't like that kind of special beating around the bush, and many foreign coaches have not succeeded in Dalian because they don't understand Dalian football culture. In addition, the physical condition of Dalian players is very good, but it is relatively rough, not the kind of more detailed, so I define Dalian football should be a more direct football, the game should limit the opponent, play confrontational, fast and pressing football, this is the characteristics of Dalian football.

I remember when I was a player, it wasn't complicated, I played directly to the striker and then two people followed up. This kind of play has a lot to do with the region, the winter in Dalian is very cold, you ask the child to practice passing control on the outside court, play 4 to 2, 5 to 3, he can freeze to death, let him run back and forth, this is Dalian football, this is the character of Dalian people.

Therefore, when we first formed the Champions League, we intended to redefine Dalian football. I think that Dalian football has not done well in the past period, so we have reorganized a team, and I have to get a table and a stool for this team, and I have also selected the most suitable players, and the system of the past three years has finally benefited us. Now, let's put the system in. The personnel are brand new, but my style of football hasn't changed, and it doesn't change easily depending on the personnel. My philosophy is to put the ball in the opposition half, get the ball in a higher position, and take advantage of the transition in the opposition half.

It is precisely because we are very confident in this training system that we have been able to focus on the core points in a short period of time in this winter training, which is the main reason why we were able to achieve good results in the early stages of the league. Plus, all of us carry with us the belief that we're going to prove that we're not bad.

◆In terms of the overall data of this year's Chinese League, Dalian InBev's most prominent data is steals, ranking second in the league, and the success rate of long passes is very high. The other main statistics, including possession and shots, are in the middle or even the middle and lower reaches, does this also illustrate the style of this Dalian team?

Our offensive stats are relatively weak, which has something to do with the demographics, but our defensive stats are good and we are high in the league in terms of possession. In addition, our pressure rate in the opponent's half has been the first in both the Champions League and the Second Division in recent years.

We emphasise the fast-paced and high-intensity competition. For example, if we ask a player to press when they are 60 meters away from their goal, and the opponent passes the ball five times in a row, we will definitely have to press one of them. It's a statistic important to me, we're second in the league and we're ahead in tackles. The defense is not blindly passive, our defense is more aggressive, and the corresponding statistics will be higher.

◆There are no players from Dalian InBev in the top 10 scorers, with Kotnik ranked 13th and Zhu Pengyu ranked 21st. It's not like a league runner-up statistic.

To be honest, I personally prefer the way this team played in the first half of the year, we were constantly limiting the opponents. In the first half of the year, the opponent lacked awareness of us, and we had a lot of transition attacks after pressing. We finished third after the halfway point, and in the second half of the year many opponents chose to revert to our defence, so we had to adjust our play. I told the players that the first phase is over and that the style of play needs to be upgraded. In the first half of the year, it was to press and quickly switch offenses, and in the second half of the year, it increased ball control and counter-robbery, constantly grasping conversions, and improving the intensity of confrontation in the game.

◆Football: There are a lot of veterans in InBev this year, how do you manage them?

Li Guoxu: Sometimes managing a player is like boiling an eagle, if he doesn't listen to you, just boil him, and the same is true for foreign aid. I've only had four games this year with three foreign players at the same time, it's not that I don't have foreign players, it's that they don't meet my requirements. If the players don't play for the team or for me, then rest.

At the beginning of the year, when a foreign aid came, it was more than 100 kilograms, and I asked him to lose weight, but he didn't accept it at first, and the boss sometimes didn't understand that he didn't need him. But for me you can't use it because it's an important principle to control the team, even if it's a foreign player, as long as he tries to meet the requirements, I'm sure to give it a chance, I do that with every player.

◆So Dalian is quite effective in the field this year?

Dalian football has its own tradition, and we must pass it on. For a while, there were some voices saying that Dalian football has no history and Dalian people can't do it well. As Dalian footballers, we also held our breath. I was born here, and after I coach the team, I still have to live in this city, and if I don't lead this team, or if something messes happen here, everyone will scold me, and I can't stand it. As a Dalian person, I must be responsible for Dalian football.

The players here, the old old, the little ones. Four players like Zhu Pengyu, Mao Weijie, Lu Zhuoyi, and Xiaoqiang have not played a full season before, but they all have potential. In addition, there is not much gap between Chinese players, except for the players of the national team, the others are inferior in courage and experience. We need systems to function, not individual capabilities.

◆How long does it take for a system to be built?

With good training, I believe there will be a prototype in six to seven weeks, and the key is persistence.

◆When was the hardest part of the year?

There are two difficult periods. First, we lost to Guangzhou in the 9th round, when our four main players were suspended and became a single foreign aid, and we happened to play some stronger teams on the schedule, so the results fluctuated. The second is that after five consecutive wins in the second half of the year, there were suddenly four rounds of winlessness. At that time, the expectations were very high, five consecutive wins and no goals, the outside world thought that this team was super strong, but in reality we were not that strong.

◆Isn't five consecutive rounds of clean sheets a reflection of ability?

It's the embodiment of ability, but it's not so obvious, we just grasp the key point. The first is due to the overall technical and tactical reasons, and the second is that we have a high intensity of the game, and some teams are dragged to the point that they can't stand it, but they are by no means unable to play. We've never had a 3-0 first half, we were basically 1-0 or 2-0 in the first half, and it was more consistent. Moreover, we basically won all the weak teams. In addition, I don't take away games. I think in the domestic league, whether it is a strong team or not, depends on the away team, and you must dare to win away from home.

Football is a long-term sport. If something goes wrong in the third round, I change it, and then in the end I find that I'm standing there and not going anywhere. They sometimes say I'm stubborn, but I'm not stubborn, that's my philosophy of football. If it's a relegation team, the goal is not to lose every game, but if I want to go ahead, I have to get three points per game.

In addition, I want to use facts to prove that Dalian football is not so bad. Some people know something advanced, but that doesn't mean they can come to teach Dalian football a lesson and ignore the history of football here. Dalian's football roots cannot be denied by anyone. I said at the press conference that Dalian has to be a great team, and if our goal in the Super League is to be a relegation team, then we won't play so aggressive football. Our goal must be to qualify for the AFC Champions League and we will continue to follow that direction. If I don't succeed, there will be another person to continue in this direction, and sooner or later the goal will be achieved, and we are looking for long-term results.

◆The soil allows you to do that, doesn't it?

The soil doesn't allow me to do it. The first investor rarely interfered with me, the second investor respected my football philosophy, and my results made him believe in me more.

◆Have you never had self-doubt?

No. A few days ago, someone asked me if you could take the Super League, and I said why can't you? In fact, some Chinese football managers or investors don't trust Chinese coaches, they don't think we can do a good job, but in fact we have the ability, and now many local coaches are doing well at all levels of the league.

◆There are four local coaches in the Super League this season, and most of them are between 45 and 50 years old.

We have the will and the ability to learn. Now that the information is very developed, we are also learning advanced football concepts and playing styles, and the most important thing is to understand each structure, study this structure clearly, and then develop their own training, so that the players can play the training content in the game. My team definitely has a numerical advantage in the local area, near the ball, there is a tactic, there is an arrangement, maybe before the ball is changed, my players are already in place, so we can have the advantage.

Chinese football is changing, including the recognition of domestic coaches. Football is simpler, it's not a utilitarian project, and it can still produce results in a certain cycle.

Why Korean and Japanese coaches usually have a three-year contract period, because it's a cycle. The Chinese league can be three months in a cycle. The one who can bring out the distinctive characteristics of the team is a good coach. We should be on the right path.

◆Football: You've brought out 100 per cent of your players this season, right?

Li Guoxu: Maybe less than 100 percent, but the ability of the personnel in the squad this season is basically based on their ability to maximize the effect.

From the perspective of a team that overtakes each position, there should be shortcomings in every position, but my team has shortcomings, and that's the reality. We don't have defensive full-backs, we don't have midfielders who can organise attacks, and the wingers are a little bit less able to break through, but these can only be compensated for by the system, and each game is fine-tuned according to the different characteristics of the players.

In addition, as the head coach of the Dalian team, we must have a sense of responsibility and let the young players of Dalian grow up as soon as possible, because the football talents of Dalian have been cut off. That's the goal we set at the beginning of the year, so we have a high percentage of young players, and I trust them a lot when it's critical, and if I don't train the young people out, there will really be no one in Dalian football after that.

I tell the senior players that if the young players are at the same level as you, you don't have a chance, even if they are only 80% of yours, the opportunity will be given to the young players.

◆The key to Dalian this year's overtaking is to get all the points that should be taken?

There wasn't much wrong with the system to stabilize the team. Stability in the team is what makes the players have a stable state, and if the players are not in good shape, the results will fluctuate. We do have average results in playing strong teams, because we have shortcomings, and when we play strong teams, we actually compare who has fewer shortcomings and who has fewer mistakes.

◆What kind of pressure does the competition bring to you?

My pressure comes from not having the absolute strength but getting rid of the team that is chasing us. I'm going to make them desperate and every time they chase two points, I'll do everything I can to win. This is actually very difficult to do, and the error tolerance rate is very low.

I didn't lead the team to promotion in the past three years, I was fourth in the first year, second in the second year, and second in this year, and I was only two or three points ahead each time. We digested this pressure quite well, firstly, we usually decompress the players, and secondly, I think it has something to do with my more tenacious and strong personality.

◆Football: Do you have any research on the Chinese Super League?

Li Guoxu: I have begun to study, and there are two data in the top two of the Super League: one is the running distance within one minute, and the harbor is the first; The second is the sprint distance within one minute, and Shenhua is first. Can you imagine that they have the advantage of possession and still be able to do that? This data is something that many people don't pay attention to, but it's the core data that I've always paid attention to. In addition, I also attach great importance to the oppressive data. If we don't have the ability to play the ball into the opposition's danger zone every time by organising at this stage, then we will try to win the ball in that area as much as possible.

◆When you get to the Chinese Super League, will you still play like this?

It has to be kicked like this. This is my football philosophy, and also because Dalian football itself has a kind of pride. Sometimes, my personality can cause the team to lose a game, but I will sum it up better for the next game. Of course, when we get to the Chinese Super League, we are not a strong team, we can't be too idealistic, we have to adjust our strategy according to different opponents. But I still have to stick to my style. If I changed it when it came to the Super League, then I would rather not bring it.

◆What do you think is the spirit of Dalian football?

I think the spirit of Dalian football is that there is a natural sense of superiority in football. When I was a child, Dalian football was very strong, and my coach told me that Dalian football must be the first. That was the environment I grew up in when I was a child, and it also created a sense of superiority in our football culture, and I think Dalian people can play well no matter what, so we have confidence. We also have our own style, which is tough and direct. However, in recent years, we have lacked international standards. It's not enough to have style, but also to have a system, advanced training methods, and new data to support it, which is what we have not done well over the years.

◆Why is attendance in Dalian so high this year?

At first, the expectations for us were not high, but each of us worked hard. We insist on using young players, we insist on using our local players, the fans recognize the team, they like our style of football, we like to play against the fierce competition, and of course the results are good.

◆Will this kind of ball market continue after it is in the Chinese Super League?

At the beginning, the attention will definitely be high, but you must look at the results, Dalian is a performance-oriented ball market.

◆Football: Is it tense to direct a game in a 60,000-strong football stadium?

Li Guoxu: Actually, I am quite adaptable, because there is a process. From 28,000 to 340,000 to 50,000 or 60,000. If a coach always wins on this field, he will like this court, and the so-called aura is compatible. When we played Suzhou Dongwu this year, as soon as we scored on the field, I smelled the smell of the sea, this is the smell of Dalian, I knew that we would win this game, and finally won 2-0. By the time of the final round, there were more than 60,000 people seated, and I was even a little excited.

◆In fact, there is also some controversy surrounding you, will you pay attention?

There is attention, but little. Sometimes I uninstall some software after losing. I firmly believe in what I have in my heart, but I'm also afraid that I will be affected by some of the content I read on the Internet. I know that in this position, you have to accept the pressure, don't take yourself too seriously when it's good, and don't make yourself act like you can't do anything when you're bad. Some time ago, I saw a passage on the Internet, "Each of us has a short time to live, why should we care too much about what others think of us", and I feel the same way.

◆What did you do on the night of your success?

Went home. Everyone was tired and I preferred to let the players choose who to celebrate, so I would talk to my family and go to bed early. It was the first time of the year that I didn't have a replay on that day. I woke up at five o'clock the next morning and watched the game on my computer. I'm trying to find out why we didn't win it so quickly. Also, I watched two Super League games. It's time to start doing your homework. FA Cup final, I want to go and watch it.

◆What are your plans for the upcoming Super League season?

I think the Super League will be difficult, but I'm still confident in our tactical system, provided we get the people we need. In this year's winter training, we are going to play some high-intensity matches overseas, and we must be abused by others, and the most important thing is to find our own rhythm.

Now we definitely don't have enough technology, but we can run, we can grab, that's why we want to focus on young people. We are not giants, we have to bring in reinforcements based on our strengths and weaknesses. For the Super League, we have awe, but also self-confidence.

◆Football: Which of the three times to lead the team to upgrade is the hardest?

Li Guoxu: This time. Because the first two times I thought I had an advantage in the personnel, at least in the top four in the league, but this time I think we should have a top-six or top-eight pool. If we play again, we will probably be in five or six places. In addition, I think the whole focus is high this time, and the team is under a lot of pressure.

In the past three years, I have played until the last game and I have to win to be promoted, but fortunately I won them all. If you lose one game, there will be no story now. I still say that facing difficulties and pressure is part of this job.

◆Is there any special preparation for the final game?

This is the third time I've experienced this kind of competition. I told the players, first, we are very well prepared, everyone just needs to play according to the technical and tactical deployment; Second, we have the advantage of strength; Thirdly, we have a home field advantage; In the end, I told everyone that this is the third time I have led the team to fight the last battle of life and death, as long as you believe me, I will definitely carry you up. In the course of the game, we did have difficulties, with the progress of the game, including the news of another Guangzhou team game, our three offensive systems, three sets of plans were all used, for a moment I was also nervous, but I always firmly believe that Dalian football in the 60,000 witnesses, must be decently into the Super League, I really kicked into the Super League.

◆You've been moving up the stride, is it the best time to do it?

It's in a good cycle, and of course I think there will definitely be difficulties in the future, but at least I'm still more confident for now.