Guangzhou Leopard officially announced that Xiao Zhi has been appointed as the assistant coach of the first team, effective immediately. He will continue to fight for Guangzhou Leopard in the remaining games of the 2024 season as both a player and an assistant coach.
Xiao Zhi, 39, was born on May 28, 1985, in Luoyang, Henan Province. Standing at 186cm tall, he played as a striker during his career and holds an AFC A-level coaching certificate. As the most experienced player in Guangzhou Leopard, Xiao Zhi boasts a brilliant professional career, having played for Nanjing Youyou, Henan Team, Guangzhou City, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, Hebei Zhuoao, Liaoning Iron Man, Qingdao Hainiu, and other teams.
Xiao Zhi’s career began at Nanjing Youyou, the second professional football club in Jiangsu, where he showcased his exceptional physical talent for his age. In 2007, he joined the Henan Team (formerly Henan Jianye), making his debut in China’s top-tier football league. During his nine seasons with Jianye (2007-2015), he appeared in 144 games across all competitions, scoring 18 goals and providing 5 assists. His awe-inspiring world-class goals became a timeless classic in Jianye’s history. In the 2016 season, Xiao Zhi moved to Guangzhou City (formerly Guangzhou Fuli) and experienced a peak moment in his professional career. Under the guidance of Stojkovic, Xiao Zhi gradually became one of the most elite center-forwards in China. From 2016 to 2019, in four years, Xiao Zhi played 92 games for Guangzhou City, scoring 23 goals and providing 11 assists.
In 2020, Xiao Zhi moved north to join Tianjin Jinmen Tiger (formerly Tianjin TEDA), playing 13 games for the team. From 2021 to 2022, he played for Hebei Zhuoao, Liaoning Iron Man (formerly Liaoning Shenyang City) and Qingdao Hainiu, accumulating 44 appearances and scoring 10 goals. He also helped Hainiu achieve promotion to the Chinese League One in the 2021 season. In 2023, Xiao Zhi returned to Guangzhou, joining the newly established Guangzhou Leopard. He scored 12 goals for the team in the Chinese League Two, proving to be an indispensable attacking force. As such, Xiao Zhi officially “checked in” to all four tiers of Chinese football (Chinese Super League, Chinese League One, Chinese League Two, Chinese League Three), scoring goals in all four tiers.
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