Zhao Dayu

Zhao Dayu
Personal information
Full nameZhao Dayu
Date of birth17 January 1961
Place of birthGuangzhou, Guangdong, China
Date of death18 March 2015 (aged 54)
Place of deathGuangzhou, Guangdong, China
Height1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)
Playing positionForward
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1978–1986Guangzhou
1988–1990Mitsubishi Motors F.C.
National team
1982–1986China29(19)
Teams managed
1988Mitsubishi Motors F.C. Youth
1999Guangzhou Apollo
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Zhao.

Zhao Dayu (Chinese: 赵达裕; Pinyin: Zhào Dáyù; 17 January 1961 – 18 March 2015) was a Chinese coach, businessman and a former international football striker. As a footballer he played his whole career for Guangzhou F.C., where he was Nicknamed "Dwarf Tiger" because of his short sature, while internationally he was called up to the Chinese national team, where he took part in the 1984 Asian Cup. He had to retire early in 1986 due to injury and moved to Japan to become the coach of Mitsubishi Motors F.C. youth team in 1988.[1] Zhao had a brief stint at senior management with Guangzhou F.C. before concentrating on football youth development by starting up his own school named Yida football school in his hometown while outside football he moved into sportswear manufacturing with a company called Ucan.

Biography

Zhao Dayu studied within the specialist sport schools within Guangzhou before being picked up by Guangzhou F.C., where he showed himself to be a technically gifted player before going on to break into the senior team and soon help guide the club to win promotion to the top tier when the club won the 1981 division title.[2] Zhao's performances for his club soon saw him called up to the Chinese national team, and he soon gained national attention when he scored the winning goal against Argentina in the 1984 Nehru Cup.[3] While the Nehru Cup was a friendly competition Zhao showed what he was capable of when he played in 1984 Asian Cup and helped guide China to a runner-up position within the tournament.[4] It turned out to be the highlight of his career, and in 1986 he had to retire after he was unable to overcome a persistent tibia and fibula fracture in his left leg.

In 1988 he moved to Japan to become the coach of Mitsubishi Motors F.C. youth team and spent several years with his wife and family living in Japan before returning to China in 1998.[5] He then had a brief stint with senior management when he returned to Guangzhou F.C. in 1999 as their head coach; however, it has been in youth development where Zhao has concentrated on when he formed a football school named Yida football school in his hometown of Guangzhou. He is also the owner of a sportswear company named Ucan which had secured a kit sponsorship deal with China League One club Guangdong Sunray Cave.

On 18 March 2015, Zhao died of liver cancer in Guangzhou, aged 54.[6]

International record

CompetitionYearAppsGoal
Great Wall Cup 1982–198451
Friendly 1984–198694
Asian Cup Qualifier 198446
Asian Cup 198462
World Cup Qualifier 198556
Total 2919

References

  1. "专访赵达裕:足协的4000万青训拨款做得都是很虚的东西". sports.163.com. 2011-07-02. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
  2. "China 1981". rsssf.com. 22 Oct 2009. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
  3. "China PR 1-0 Argentina". teamchina.freehostia.com. 1984-01-20. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
  4. "Asian Nations Cup 1984". rsssf.com. 21 Dec 2009. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
  5. "数广东足坛十三大风流人物:容志行古广明均上榜". cnsoccer.titan24.com. 2011-03-11. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
  6. "足坛名宿赵达裕肝癌晚期 医治无效于今日仙逝". Netease. 2015-03-18. Retrieved 2015-03-18.

External links