Zheng Zhi
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Zheng with China at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 20 August 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Shenyang, Liaoning, China | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Qingdao West Coast (head coach) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–2000 | Liaoning FC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Liaoning FC | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2004 | Shenzhen Jianlibao | 82 | (13) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Shandong Luneng Taishan | 45 | (31) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | → Charlton Athletic (loan) | 12 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Charlton Athletic | 55 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Celtic | 16 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2022 | Guangzhou FC | 226 | (15) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 440 | (69) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | China U23 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2019 | China | 108 | (15) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Guangzhou Evergrande (caretaker) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Guangzhou FC (caretaker) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Guangzhou FC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2025 | China (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2026- | Qingdao West Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zheng Zhi | |||||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 郑智 | ||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 鄭智 | ||||||||
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Zheng Zhi (Chinese: 郑智; pinyin: Zhèng Zhì; born 20 August 1980) is a Chinese professional football manager and former player. As a player, Zheng played most of his career for Chinese Super League club Guangzhou FC, becoming their captain and serving also as their caretaker manager in two stints.
After starting his career as a defender, Zheng was later moved into a central midfield role by then head coach Zhu Guanghu at Shenzhen Jianlibao and experienced immediate success there by winning the 2004 league title with the club. A move to Shandong Luneng Taishan saw a prolific goal scoring period in his career and he soon became the captain of the Chinese national team, which then led to moves to Charlton Athletic and Celtic. He moved back to China in 2010 and joined what was then Guangzhou Evergrande, making over 300 appearances as captain while helping the club win all major trophies a Chinese club could compete for, including Chinese Super League for a record eight times and the AFC Champions League twice, the only Chinese club to have ever won the continental title.