Interview with Chen Dong, General Manager of Dalian InBev: Create Dalian characteristics in the Chinese Super League

Special correspondent Ding Xu reports After Dalian was relegated from the Chinese Super League and disbanded, the former glory of Football City was once again obscured. But only a year later, another new force in Dalian football, YingBev, has sprung up to complete the goal of surpassing. "Super League, Dalian is back!" From Dalian Reading Bank, Dalian Zhixing to Dalian InBev, Chen Dong became the first club boss in Chinese football to bring the team from the Champions League to the Chinese Super League, and he was full of emotion in the past three years.

◆"Football": It has been two weeks since Dalian InBev rushed to the Super League, what has Mr. Chen been busy with recently?

Chen Dong: After the team overtakes, there are still a lot of things for the club, and they are also very complicated, including the admission to the Chinese Super League next year. The team overtook on the 3rd of this month, the club had a day off on the 4th, and worked normally on the 5th, because the deadline for access to this year's professional league is November 25, and the club staff has no holiday for the time being, so they will do a good job of access first. In addition, the club is also actively working on the recruitment and how to operate the Super League platform next year.

◆Dalian InBev was thrilling in the overtaking process, only 2 points ahead of Guangzhou before the final game, how did the club prepare for the final game?

In fact, the club will do a lot of preparation work before each game, and the most important job is to ensure the daily training, games, travel and service of the first team. After investor Wang Kui finally set the goal of surpassing, the club also adjusted the focus of its daily work: focusing all resources on ensuring that the first team completes the task of surpassing. At that time, we were only two points ahead of Guangzhou, and that week, not only did the club meet every day, but the city studied every day to ensure that the last game was foolproof and got a good result, because we were in the top zone almost all year round and we couldn't afford to fall short. Judging by the results, the club has done the best to ensure it.

◆To sum up how you've felt over the past year, which word would you choose?

Thanksgiving! The club has been established for three years and has experienced many changes, and there are many people who are grateful, including Wang Kui, chairman of the club, the club, team staff, fans and the municipal party committee and municipal government. We are a brand new club and all the people of the club and the team have been working hard for a year with a common goal and the important thing is that we have succeeded in the end. The number of spectators at our home stadium went from 23,000 to 35,000, then to 48,000 and 56,000, and the last game of Barracuda Bay came to 60,951 fans. The success of the club and the team is also inseparable from the attention and support of the Dalian Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, and the relevant leaders of each home stadium come to the stadium to cheer for InBev, send me a message in the away game, congratulate the team when it wins, and give comfort and encouragement to the team when it loses.

◆"Football": This club was built by you, and you completed the miracle of surpassing within three years, and you are the first club boss in Chinese football to bring the team from the Champions League to the Chinese Super League.

Chen Dong: I've really experienced a lot of things in the past three years, three years ago, I was still a goalkeeper coach. If you follow us for a long time, the fans will know very well what the team has been through, I have had problems and difficulties in all aspects of my work, but I have persevered, the work has been effective, and the club and the team have come out of the difficulties. As a general manager, I like to work with like-minded people who share the same dreams, and Dalian InBev has achieved the goal of surpassing, which I think is the most successful.

For clubs and teams to succeed, they have to be united, from the investors and the general manager to the manager, the players and the staff, everyone has to come together and get things done for the same goal. I always believe in two things in my work: one is persistence, and the other is love. Insist, to do one thing to the end, do a good job, everyone also saw the achievements of Dalian InBev; I love football, I like to do football, and I have the interest to get things done.

◆What has been your happiest thing about the past three years? Is it a success?

Actually, many people have asked me this question, but this is the first time I have publicly answered this question through the platform "Football". There are many memorable moments this year, including reversals, kills, overtakes, etc., but the most memorable one for me is December 12 last year. It was the most difficult time for Dalian football, and the club was facing life and death, and I had mixed feelings. In the end, the investor Wang Kui made a move, and at 9:18 a.m., the auction of the club was successful, and the team was taken over, which was the happiest and most touching moment for me.

As soon as the bid was successful, I sent a message to Chairman Wang Kui: "Mr. Wang is mighty! Next year, under your leadership, see if we can make the whole miracle, let's keep a low profile externally, that is, relegation, internal unity, one game at a time, and look at it at the end of next year. I'm confident! Chairman Wang Kui said that we will do things well together. Unexpectedly, we really surpassed......

◆At the beginning of the season, Dalian InBev aims to gain a firm foothold in the Central League and try to surpass in 2026, so when will the goal of this year's overtake be determined?

I set up this club single-handedly, and as I said earlier, at the end of last year, I had a glimmer of thinking about surpassing and completing the record of "three years and quadruple jumps". However, the club has changed investors, and there are many uncertainties in things, so I buried this idea in my heart first. The team has won four consecutive games at the beginning of the league, and our advantage in the standings is gradually expanding, I think the time may be really ripe, so I will judge with investor Wang Kui and head coach Li Guoxu, and think that the team has a chance to surpass this year.

◆Football: I asked you a year ago, is it hard to be a player or a boss? A year on, has there been any change in your feelings?

Chen Dong: It's still difficult to be the boss! The general manager of the club has special job functions and responsibilities, and there are many issues to consider, which are very different from the requirements of the players. The players only need to take care of themselves, and the general manager is responsible for the affairs of the whole family, not only the first team, the office and other relevant departments, but also the youth training and other aspects of work. The work of the general manager is hard, but fortunately I have so many very good colleagues, and we work together.

The club has gained a lot of experience over the past year, as neither the club nor the coaching staff have experienced a full season in the league. We have accumulated a lot this year, and these gains will help us better adapt to the new season of the Chinese Super League, but of course we as a young club also need to grow from our mistakes. In addition, I would like to thank the investor Wang Kui again, the chairman of the board of directors has personally helped the club do a lot of effective work, and my pressure has been reduced a lot.

◆This year, Dalian InBev not only has an excellent record, but also does a very good job in the operation of the club, bringing considerable income. Evaluate this new operating model of the club.

Domestic clubs will build their own club culture according to the culture of the region, Beijing Guoan, Chengdu Rongcheng, Tianjin Jinmen Tigers, Zhejiang team of the Chinese Super League have done well, and Shaanxi United of China B also has its own characteristics, we will learn from these clubs and learn from their good methods. Under the guidance of investor Wang Kui, Dalian InBev established Dalian InBev Culture Media, opening a new operation model, and the media company is mainly responsible for the surrounding and interaction of fans. Dalian InBev's operating model is unique in the history of Dalian football, and now it should be regarded as a success.

◆Dalian InBev will be a Chinese Super League club after the entry, compared with the previous three seasons, what changes will the club have in operation next year?

This year, we have been relatively successful in the Chinese League, the team's results and the club's operation. When the team has a good result, the number of fans is large, and this year we have had a hard time grabbing tickets at each of our home stadiums. In the next year, we will basically maintain the current operating model, but we will definitely have to rectify and fine-tune some areas.

◆"Football": Chairman Wang Kui once announced that the club's budget for next year is 150 million.

Chen Dong: Soon after the end of the Chinese Football Association, the Chinese Football Association has not yet held a professional league season summary meeting, and the preparations for next year's league, especially the relevant policies, have not yet been introduced. Chairman Wang Kui is resolute and resolute, and he definitely hopes that Dalian InBev will perform well in the Chinese Super League next year. In terms of the current environment of Chinese football, I don't think Dalian InBev will spend a lot of money in the Chinese Super League. Dalian Yingbo will continue to attach importance to youth training, strengthen self-hematopoietic ability, discover potential young players, absorb players from other Chinese Super League teams, gain a firm foothold in the Chinese Super League, and create Dalian football characteristics.

◆After the end of the Chinese League, there are many players in the team whose contracts have expired, what is the current renewal situation of the team, and is there a list of players who will stay and leave the team?

To be honest, the age structure of Dalian InBev's players is not too reasonable, the old are old, the young are small, and there are not many players of the Mesozoic generation. However, the veteran players are experienced, the young players are energetic and hardworking, and the team will make reasonable arrangements according to the actual situation. The team is still on vacation, the club has relevant plans, and all work is progressing in an orderly manner. As for the ticketing issues for the new season, which fans are very concerned about, including package tickets and single-game tickets, the club is also actively researching.

◆After the holiday, what is the next step for Dalian InBev?

According to the plan, the team will concentrate on December 2, train in Dalian for a period of time, go to the south for technical and tactical drills after the New Year, and mainly play teaching games with other teams after the Spring Festival.