Zhuang Yi

Zhuang Yi
庄毅
Personal information
Date of birth (1973-07-11) 11 July 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth Shenyang, Liaoning, China
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Shenyang Urban
Number 9
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994–1997 Liaoning
1998 Qingdao Hainiu 24 (4)
1999 Beijing Guoan 8 (0)
2000 Shenyang Haishi 0 (0)
2016– Shenyang Urban 2 (1)
International career‡
1995 China 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 December 2020
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 3 June 2018
In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhuang.

Zhuang Yi (Chinese: 庄毅; pinyin: Zhuāng Yì; born 11 July 1973) is a Chinese footballer and businessman who currently the owner and former player of China League One side Shenyang Urban. He holds the record of the oldest player and scorer of Chinese professional league.

Club career

Zhuang Yi started his professional football career in 1994 when Chinese Jia-A League turned to professional league. He was the second top scorer of the league in 1994 season, scoring 12 goals in 18 appearances and won Chinese Football Association Young Player of the Year at the end of 1994.[1] He played in the second tier between 1996 and 1997 following Liaoning FC's relegation. He transferred to Chinese Jia-A League side Qingdao Hainiu in 1998.[2] Zhuang transferred to fellow Jia-A League side Beijing Guoan in January 1999 with a fee of ¥2.28 million.[3] In June 1999, he suffered a rupture of achilles tendon in his left leg in a friendly match against LG Cheetahs,[4] ruling him out for the rest of the season.[5]

In January 2000, Zhuang joined his hometown club Shenyang Haishi with a fee of ¥600,000.[6] However, his transfer deal was completely related to his acquisition of Liaoning Youth, which included many promising players such as Zheng Zhi and Xu Liang.[7] He didn't appear for the club in the 2000 season.[7] When he lost his lawsuit and lost the control of Liaoning Youth in November 2000,[8] Zhuang was put in the transfer list by the club.[9] He retired from football in 2001.

Business career

Zhuang established Yixing Industrial Co., Ltd. and Yizhi Football School in 1996.[10] In July 1999, Yixing Industrial Co., Ltd. formed Bohai University Football School (now Liaoning Institute of Science and Engineering) in cooperate with Bohai University. Basing on the football schools, Zhuang registered two football clubs named Jinzhou Zhuangyi F.C. (2001–2004) and Panjin F.C. (2002) to play in the China League Two.[11] Zhuang also purchased 51% ownership of Liaoning Youth on 31 October 1999.[12] However, he failed to take over the club with the opposition of Liaoning Sports School. Zhuang started proceedings against Liaoning Sports School, won in the first instance in July 2000,[13] but lost in the second instance in November 2000.[8] He formed Shenyang Construction Engineering College Urban Construction School in associate with Shenyang Construction Engineering College in July 2000. In 2013, the Urban Construction School separated from Shenyang Construction Engineering College and reformed as Shenyang Urban Construction University.[10] Zhuang established a new football club Shenyang Urban F.C. which was named after the university in 2015.[14]

After Shenyang Urban finished the fourth in the 2015 China Amateur Football League and won promotion to the China League Two, Zhuang registered as a player of the club, wearing the number 9 shirt.[15] However, he didn't appear in the 2016 and 2017 season. On 12 May 2018, he made his return in a 7–1 home win over Baotou Nanjiao, coming on as a substitute in the 67th minute to become the oldest ever player of Chinese professional league at the age of 44 years and 305 days, overtook Anatoli Davydov's previous record of 42 years and 348 days.[16] Zhuang renewed his record on 3 June 2018 when he came on as a substitute in the 78th minute in a 4–0 win against Yanbian Beiguo. He scored a penalty in the match, making him the oldest scorer in the Chinese professional league at the age of 44 years and 327 days.[17]

International career

Zhuang earned two caps for China in 1995.[18] On 19 February 1995, he made his debut for China in a 0–0 draw against South Korea in the 1995 Dynasty Cup. He played another match in the Dynasty Cup on 23 February, in a 2–1 loss to Japan.[19]

Career statistics

Club statistics

As of 31 December 2020.[20]
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Liaoning FC 1994 Chinese Jia-A League 18 12 - - - 18 12
1995 22 8 - - 22 8
1996 Chinese Jia-B League - -
1997 - -
Total 40 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 40 20
Qingdao Hainiu 1998 Chinese Jia-A League 24 4 - - 24 4
Beijing Guoan 1999 8 0 - - 8 0
Shenyang Haishi 2000 0 0 0 0 - - 0 0
Shenyang Urban 2016 China League Two 0 0 0 0 - - 0 0
2017 0 0 0 0 - - 0 0
2018 2 1 0 0 - - 2 1
2019 0 0 0 0 - - 0 0
Total 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1
Career total 74 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 74 25

International statistics

National team
Year Apps Goals
1995 2 0
Total 2 0

References

  1. ^ "44岁零305天的庄毅替补出战中乙联赛 "高龄"征战职业联赛第一人". cnepaper.com. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  2. ^ "去甲B？乙级？"书生杀手"庄毅官司没完没了". 22 November 2000. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  3. ^ "228万元买断庄毅 60万元拿下高雷雷 80万元买进闻春雨". sina.com.cn. 9 January 1999. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  4. ^ "鲁辽之战最壮观 沪汉交锋无悬念". sina.com.cn. 19 June 1999. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  5. ^ "庄毅：我并不想离开国安". sina.com.cn. 23 December 1999. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  6. ^ "庄毅以60万转会至海狮". sina.com.cn. 25 January 2000. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  7. ^ a b "海狮不闻不问 "快马"听天由命 庄毅下岗几成定局". sina.com.cn. 11 December 2000. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  8. ^ a b "辽青官司最终结案 辽宁体校胜诉". sina.com.cn. 20 November 2000. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  9. ^ "章健谈高峰、庄毅转会：海狮不容"忘恩负义"者". sina.com.cn. 13 November 2000. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  10. ^ a b "国足训练场后的球员富豪 庄毅身家已达数十亿". qq.com. 8 September 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  11. ^ "足球病人庄毅大老板 收购辽宁队是最大梦想". qq.com. 10 September 2004. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  12. ^ "辽宁投资集团负责人：庄毅有权接收辽青". sina.com.cn. 4 November 1999. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  13. ^ "判后齐唱低调自有难言之隐--庄毅收购案句号尚未画圆". sina.com.cn. 20 July 2000. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  14. ^ "沈阳职业足球卷土重来 原中泽班底打造新沈足". sina.com.cn. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  15. ^ "昔日辽足快马投资中乙新军 43岁高龄报名战中乙". sina.com.cn. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  16. ^ "45岁庄毅演绎不老传说". sina.com.cn. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  17. ^ "中乙老板连创中国足坛纪录 成职业联赛最大年龄进球者". sina.com.cn. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  18. ^ Zhuang Yi at National-Football-Teams.com
  19. ^ "中国队战史（1995-1996）". eastday.com. 3 September 2002. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  20. ^ "庄毅". sodasoccer (in Chinese). Retrieved 7 June 2018. Archived 2018-06-12 at the Wayback Machine