Tan Long: Physical condition tells me that "can continue fighting" this season s goal helps the team relegation

In an exclusive interview with Football News on May 27, Yatai striker Tan Long said that the goal of this season is to help the team complete the relegation task through hard work.

Good competitive state allows you to realize your dream of the national team, and you have participated in Asian Games, World Cup qualifiers and other events. You have more than 200 games in the club. Have you ever thought about when you will retire?

Retirement is a topic that you will face sooner or later, but now my physical condition tells me that "you can continue to fight." Every time I wear the national team and Yatai jerseys and hear the fans' shouts, that sense of mission will overshadow the idea of ​​retirement. I choose to leave when I find myself unable to help the team anymore, but before that, I will treat every game as I cherish the last game and make my career as long as possible, because football has become an integral part of my life.

The league is very difficult this year. When you lose, you stand up and say sorry to the fans. How can you let the team work hard with the fans and change the dilemma?

Apologized to the fans when I lost because I knew that their anxiety was the same as the players' self-blame. Now, the team is in a difficult situation, but the more difficult it is, the more we need to use actions instead of complaining. I think changing the predicament requires players to work hard, coaching staff to adjust their tactics in a timely manner, and support from fans. Next, we will solve the problems existing in the team during training, and hope that the fans can continue to come to the scene to cheer and cheer for us.

What is your goal this season?

Goals count is secondary to me. There are 17 rounds left in this season, and my goal is to help the team complete the relegation mission through hard work. On the premise of completing the relegation task, strive to achieve the goal "in double". If the coaching staff requires me to play other positions, I will execute without hesitation, because a player's value is not just a goal, but a key position when the team needs it most.

Have you counted the goals I have scored since joining Changchun Yatai?

As of now, there should be 85! Every time I score a goal next, I will treat it as a gift to the fans and use the number of goals to measure my love for this team.

How do you think of the unprecedented difficulties Changchun Yatai encountered this year?

The difficulties encountered by the team this year are indeed unprecedented, with injuries, lineup running-in, and dense schedules superimposed. But from another perspective, this difficulty can just test the foundation of a team. I hope that no matter how good or bad the situation is, I can become the "stabilizing needle" on the court.

In Changchun, you also started to do youth training. Is it the prelude to retire?

My career reached a new height after coming to Yatai, and the land of Changchun gave me everything. So, I want to repay my "second hometown" with my strengths. At the end of 2023, I was based in Changchun for youth training and have established a step-by-step training system for children aged 4-12, especially for children born in 2019. Through nearly a year of systematic training, the team awareness and football talent shown by these children have given me hope. In the future, I hope to provide some good seedlings for the Yatai echelon.

Your little dragon will walk into the stadium with you at home. What is the purpose of this arrangement?

Take Xiaolong into the stadium, initially just wanting him to feel the atmosphere of football. As for whether the son inherits his father's business, I will not deliberately plan his life. If one day he wants to play professional football, I will tell him all his experience. The most important thing now is to let him fall in love with football first.

As Changchun's son-in-law, you have made outstanding contributions to Changchun football. Is there anything else you want to say?

A city, a team! For Changchun, let’s fight together!