Heart. Intelligence. Technique. Skill. Those four words stand out loud and proud from the whiteboard in the gym at the Guangzhou R&F training ground, giving an insight into the club’s coach, Dragan Stojković.
“This is my philosophy,” explains the Serbian football legend. “This is something I want my players to accept and to follow. I get this across every minute of every day.”
This month marks the one-year anniversary of Stojković’s arrival in Guangzhou, a year that began with a relegation battle but is ending with very clear signs that better days lie ahead. It is also clear that the revival is down to the hard work the boss is putting in with his players.
“I control everything in training,” says Stojković, something I can confirm after watching an intense session in the sweltering Guangzhou summer. “I am controlling the high intensity from the physical, technical and tactical point of view. Nothing can happen behind me that I cannot see. That is why it is important to focus 100 percent.”
One word I am surprised to see missing from the whiteboard is patience, because it is a word he repeats throughout our interview.
“You have to be very patient with Chinese players to explain your idea,” he says. “Explanation is one thing, but you have to be patient on the pitch to show things slowly. But they are talented and like to learn. From six months ago to today I see a huge difference.
“For any coach the biggest challenge is to create a good atmosphere, good play, making supporters, players and management happy. That is something to push you forward.
“You have to be very patient and intelligent to understand the mentality of the people where you live, where you work. Try to understand the personality of the players and step by step you move forward. Tell them the truth and be very patient.”
Many who live here know patience is a virtue in China, but Guangzhou held no fears for a man who is idolized as both a player and title-winning manager with Nagoya Grampus Eight in Japan. That followed a glittering club and country career with Red Star Belgrade, Marseille and the then Yugoslavia.
“I spent six years at Nagoya as a coach; I know football in Asia very well, from Australia to the Middle East,” he explains. “When I got the call from Guangzhou, I thought, very interesting. I think Chinese football will grow and make a very good development. I spoke to many friends who work in China, but it is not a secret for me.
“I really enjoy life in GZ. I concentrate on the job, every day focused, and I am satisfied. I have a simple life here. Stay at home, drink coffee, spend time with friends. I am a family man and my family supports me.”
As a coach, Stojković sees a different mentality in China but insists: “Football is the same, 11 against 11. In China there is high expectation of quick success, but in football you have to be very patient.
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“I took the team in a very difficult situation but we stayed in the league, which was priority number one, but that was not my ambition. As a player I was always a winner, and that is my mentality. The goal now is to create a respectful club and team who play interesting, beautiful football.”
Much has been said of President Xi Jinping’s desire to make China a global football power by 2050. Stojković openly declares that “the national team is a problem. China has to start from the bottom, from grassroots. It is not a question of selling and buying, they must think about the new generation. You have to create the atmosphere, the quality work for them to see how they grow up. We have to create optimal conditions for the kids.
“With young players you can see pure talent, good touch, good ideas, but they miss something aged 10 to 15. Some technical mistakes. In that period they didn’t work how they should. This kind of thing they have to change and start from the base.
“Our boss at Fuli is motivated to invest, and this year we will have a clubhouse and two new pitches. We will unite the young players with the first team. It is very positive and others should do the same thing. There is no problem with finance or space.”
Stojković draws parallels between Fuli and Arsenal, pointing out that neither spends too much money. It is no surprise to hear him make the comparison, as he played under Arsène Wenger in Japan. He has been named as a possible successor when Wenger finally hangs up his big coat, and they both share a belief in perfect football.
“Perfect football is simple football, but to play simple is not easy,” he admits. “It is the most challenging situation, because football has become a very fast game and you have to think very quickly. The style of work and play Wenger is doing at Arsenal is something I like. I was very lucky to be under his charge at Nagoya. I like his kind of work, the movement, everything so interesting, the training never boring. This is the style I like and want. I did it with Nagoya and today with Guangzhou. Players enjoy the training which is very positive.
“It is a big privilege to mention my name as future manager of Arsenal,” he notes. “Maybe they think I can continue the same style as Wenger for 20 years. No change in the style, same technical football, ball on the ground, lot of movement. Who knows, one day, but for now I am here.”
He is also touted as a future manager of Serbia but again insists that, for now, it’s not really a priority. Talk of Arsenal or international management is in the future for Stojković, who is totally focused on his Fuli mission. So where will the club be three years from now?
“Three years is a long period, but it is enough for me and my team to show the positive difference, and I hope you will be very surprised at what we can achieve. I hope you can watch our team, our style of play; compare 2016 with 2019 and everyone will realize the big changes.”
Those changes are already clearly visible, but if everyone connected with the club can show the patience the boss clearly sees as a virtue, perhaps four new words will appear on the whiteboard in the training ground, words he wrote in Nagoya:
“We are the champions.”
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[Images via Daily Mail, Kina-danas]
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