Exclusive Interview with Munoz: Chinese Players Need to Take More Responsibility; National Team's Coaching Selection Shouldn't Just Focus on Short-Term Goals

Reporter Wang Wei reports Despite only arriving in the Chinese Super League during the summer transfer window, Pep Munoz has long been a friend of Chinese football. He began coaching in the Chinese league a decade ago and has previously worked as an assistant coach for the national team. Prior to the 19th round match against Zhejiang Greentown, our newspaper conducted an exclusive interview with him. Pep elaborated on his vision for building Shenzhen New Pengcheng and offered suggestions for the overall development and coaching selection of the Chinese national team.

◆"Football": What was your understanding and impression of Shenzhen New Pengcheng before you became the head coach?

Pep: I have been following Shenzhen New Pengcheng and the Chinese Super League for a long time. I have many good friends who not only coach in CSL teams but some also play in the league, so I have been keeping an eye on the league. Our team experienced poor results at the beginning of the season, with many unnecessary goals conceded, which affected the overall confidence of the team. Boosting the team's confidence is something I aim to achieve after joining.

◆In your opinion, shouldn't Shenzhen New Pengcheng's overall strength be ranked higher in the Super League? In which specific areas can the team improve?

For example, we concede too many goals, so we need to handle our defensive situations better and find a balance between offense and defense. We need to establish this balance as much as possible at home and also find it away. This could lead to significant improvement for us.

◆What specific requirements did you set for the team during the preparation period?

Before I arrived, I gained some understanding of the players through video analysis. I had also met some of the players and was aware of their true levels. After arriving, I wanted to see how they performed in training. We also played a warm-up match in Wuhan, which helped me better understand my players. I believe we need to improve our ball control to manage our rhythm better. Defensively, I hope the entire team can be more compact and build confidence during both ball possession and defense.

◆Whether last season or this season, the performance of Shenzhen New Pengcheng's foreign players in the league has been unsatisfactory. Last season's top scorer, Edu Garcia, only scored 9 goals, and so far this season, the highest-scoring foreign player is the newly signed Wesley. Is the poor performance of foreign players the main reason for the team's poor results? How will you help all foreign players realize their true potential?

The team's goal last season was to avoid relegation, and we accomplished that. We still have 12 league matches this season, so I think it's best to evaluate these foreign players at the end of the league. Rather than focusing solely on goals, I'm more concerned about how we create scoring opportunities. For instance, improving our chances is something we can work on in training. More importantly, it's about how we create scoring chances during matches. Our domestic players can also do more to help foreign players create scoring opportunities. In the last two matches against Qingdao and Yunnan, I think we created more chances. This is an area where we need to improve.

◆Shenzhen New Pengcheng also brought in domestic players during the summer transfer window, but overall, do you feel that our squad depth is still relatively weak?

In the summer transfer window, we signed two domestic players, Li Ning and Liao Lisheng, who are the types of players I like. I think they are excellent additions. Overall, our team has been improving its cohesion, including with the foreign players. I believe our squad can help us achieve our goals by the end of the season; we just need to focus on doing our own things well during the process.

◆There is a general perception that Shenzhen New Pengcheng concedes goals easily; currently, with 38 goals conceded, they have the second-most in the Super League. Have you found a solution to this problem?

Of course, I noticed before coming that New Pengcheng has indeed conceded a lot of goals this year. Particularly, allowing opponents many crossing opportunities in a single match is something we need to change, including being tougher in our defensive box. We need to find a balance on the defensive end during training. Of course, we also cannot make basic mistakes, like in the away match against Yunnan, where two goals resulted from significant errors, allowing the opponent to score. This is unacceptable and an area where we need to improve.If a goal is conceded, it could be due to the opponent executing a beautiful attack, which is something that can happen in football. However, we cannot allow multiple basic mistakes to lead to goals. We must not easily give scoring opportunities to our opponents, which is another area we need to improve.

◆When facing strong teams, should we abandon our attacking style and switch to a defensive counter-attack? After all, to win games, we must first avoid conceding goals.

In my view, to win a match, the first priority is to keep the ball away from our penalty area and try to keep it in the opponent's half. Of course, this comes with the risk of being counter-attacked, but it requires us to make every decision and pass well in the opponent's half.Whether in the opponent's box or our own, both sides need to be very strong. When opportunities arise, we need to seize them. Only then can we have the chance to score and win the match.Strengthening our defense and forming a more compact backline to protect ourselves is, in my opinion, the most important aspect.

◆So far this season, Shenzhen New Pengcheng has only achieved 1 win, 1 draw, and 7 losses in 9 away matches, scoring 4 goals and conceding 24. With 6 more away games to go, what mindset and fighting spirit do you hope the team will have?

The match against Yunnan Yukun was my first away game since joining the team. I think we performed quite well overall in that match. For instance, Wesley's disallowed goal was actually a legitimate goal according to the rules. We had many opportunities throughout the game, including shots from Edu and Leonso hitting the post. If we had converted those chances, we could have achieved a good result away. In summary, we must not give away easy scoring opportunities to our opponents. If we can do that, I believe we can achieve good results away. This away loss will not significantly affect the team's confidence; we just need to improve on these aspects.

◆Shenzhen New Pengcheng has an average attendance of over 20,000 at home games. Can you feel the passion of Shenzhen fans for football? Is there anything you want to say to the fans?

In my first match, we faced Qingdao Hainiu at home, and I felt the atmosphere was fantastic. The fans gave us great support. During the match, there was a period when Hainiu played better, having more possession and chances, but the fans were unwavering in their support, cheering us on. We will definitely give our all to secure victories for the fans.

I hope that in future matches, the fans will unite with us and continue to support us. We will respond with our best performances to repay them, ultimately making our home ground a place where opponents find it hard to win.

◆Your contract with Shenzhen New Pengcheng extends beyond this year. Apart from achieving this year's goals, what kind of team do you hope to build in the future?

I am personally focused on the immediate work at hand. I hope the team can navigate the latter part of this season without experiencing the painful moments we faced in the first half and easily achieve our relegation goal. After that, if the management is very satisfied with my work, we can discuss future plans. Right now, the most important thing is to fulfill this year's objectives.

◆"Football": Your connection with Chinese football dates back to 2015, when Chinese football was still in the era of "money football." What was your initial impression of Chinese football back then? After ten years, has that impression changed?

Pep: At that time, it was a period of relatively high salaries, with some capable foreign players joining. The pace of the matches back then was much faster than now; some matches now indeed have a slower tempo.However, I think the most important thing is that during that era, more Chinese players were able to step up and take on roles within the team, showing greater responsibility. These players contributed more effectively to the team. I believe the most significant change is that now there are Chinese players who can stand up and take on responsibilities within the team.

◆Interestingly, your first match as head coach of Shenzhen New Pengcheng was against your former colleague Li Xiaopeng. What did you discuss before and after the match?

Regarding Coach Li Xiaopeng, we collaborated when we were both in Shandong. He invited me to coach in Wuhan, but for various reasons, it didn't work out. Later, he invited me to the national team, and after working together there, we became very good friends. He has helped me a lot in my professional football career and is a remarkable person. It's rare to meet such a good friend and brother in one's football career, and I cherish our friendship. Additionally, in his team, Qingdao Hainiu, assistant coach Hao Junmin was also a player with us in Shandong Luneng, which brings back great memories. I wish Coach Li all the best in the future, and I will always cherish this friendship, hoping he continues to excel. In the world of football, we will have many more opportunities to meet again.

◆What impressions did you have during your time working together with Li Xiaopeng on the national team coaching staff? That was a challenging period, wasn't it?

At that time, during the tournament-style matches, when players joined the national team, they were often not in great physical condition. We had to face some very strong opponents like Saudi Arabia, Oman, Vietnam, and later Japan. These matches were indeed challenging due to the opponents' superior physical conditions and abilities compared to ours. So, as you mentioned, it was a difficult time.

However, because of that, we experienced a lot together. We spent a long time together, and the coaching staff and players built strong friendships and unity. The coaching staff included many legendary figures from Chinese football, and I established great connections with all the coaching staff and players.

◆Chinese football has once again been shut out from the World Cup. What do you think the current national team lacks the most? Is it fighting spirit, technical ability, or overall tactics?

I believe that national team players face a lot of pressure when competing. The national team's historical performance hasn't been great, so they feel significant pressure, which is the most pressing issue that needs to be addressed.

◆The Chinese national team is currently selecting a new coach. Would you mind offering some suggestions? For example, should local coaches be given more opportunities? Do you think there are excellent local coaches in China?

I think the most important point is that when the Chinese Football Association sets goals and selects a coach, they should not impose short-term objectives on the coaching staff and players.If the coaching staff and players are pressured to achieve short-term goals, it can create significant stress, seeking immediate results to correct things, which is not the right approach. We may need to establish a long-term plan over three to five years, focusing on a stable and effective method to achieve the national team's goals. This would also reduce the pressure on the players.

The key is to avoid short-term pressures, as this pressure poses challenges for both players and the coaching staff. There are already some good local coaches in China whose tactical knowledge and abilities are commendable.Thus, I believe the national team coaching staff should primarily consist of local coaches, supplemented by experienced foreign coaches to provide technical support.

◆You have coached in the youth training system of FC Barcelona. What coaching philosophy and talent development approach did your experience at La Masia leave you with?

In terms of philosophy, the Barcelona La Masia system requires players to create difficulties for opponents through ball control and good positioning, winning matches in our own way. This is one aspect of my coaching philosophy.

More importantly, domestic young players may lack ambition compared to their European counterparts.European players aspire to be the best in their position at every stage and have higher goals, such as making it to the national team and pursuing even loftier ambitions. Chinese players need to cultivate this ambition to play in Europe. This is where the gap lies between Chinese players and some European players. Domestic players tend to be more content with the status quo, and they need this ambition—to strive for improvement and to become the best.