# Zhang Honggen

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Zhang_Honggen
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Zhang_Honggen.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Honggen
> Source revision: 1343566213
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Chinese footballer and coach

In this [Chinese name](/source/Chinese_name), the [family name](/source/Chinese_surname) is *[Zhang](/source/Zhang_(surname))*.

Zhang Honggen 張宏根 Personal information Full name Zhang Honggen Date of birth (1935-11-27)27 November 1935 Place of birth Shanghai, China Date of death 25 November 2003(2003-11-25) (aged 67) Place of death Beijing, China Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) Position Forward Youth career Shanghai Youth Football Team Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) South China International career 1954–1965 China 51 (3) Managerial career 1970–1973 Beijing Youth Team 1977 China 1979 China 1982 China 1994 Dalian Wanda 1999 Chengdu Blades * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 7 May 2010

**Zhang Honggen** ([Chinese](/source/Chinese_language): 張宏根; 27 November 1935 – 25 November 2003) was a [Chinese](/source/Chinese_people) international football player and coach. As a player, he was one of the first footballers to play for the [People's Republic of China](/source/People's_Republic_of_China) at the international level, and as a coach, he was among the first managers to manage a fully professional Chinese football club, with his stint at [Dalian Wanda](/source/Dalian_Wanda).

## Playing career

Zhang Honggen began his football career playing for the South China team until he turned eighteen when he was selected by the Chinese Head coach [Li Fenglou](/source/Li_Fenglou) to take part in China's first ever qualification for the [1958 FIFA World Cup](/source/1958_FIFA_World_Cup).[1] Despite not qualifying he was recognised as being China's best ever player.[2] As a vital member of the Chinese team and was praised for being technically sophisticated and having delicate footwork with a clear-head who was also good at both defensive and offensive play. This saw him remain a vital member of the team for several years even though China did not enter any further competitions and by 1965 Zhang Honggen retired due to an injury.

## Management career

Despite being only being thirty years old when he retired, Zhang Honggen eventually moved to management with Beijing Youth Team in 1970. After several seasons he replaced [Nian Weisi](/source/Nian_Weisi) in 1977 as manager of the Chinese football team, however his reign was uneventful and he left after only a year. He returned twice to this position in 1979 and 1982 to help the team for short periods, however these were again uneventful. In the [1985 Summer Universiade](/source/1985_Summer_Universiade) he guided China to a third-place position before he moved away from football and took several sport positions that included the National Sports Commission Training Council Advisory Committee, the National Sports Commission and the Sports Services Inc. as well as a position in the Chinese Football Association coaches committee. In 1994, he returned to management with [Dalian Wanda](/source/Dalian_Wanda) and won the league title with them in his first attempt, however after that victory he decided to become the teams advisor.[3] Once more returning to management in 1999 with second tier club [Chengdu Blades](/source/Chengdu_Blades) he only served for a short period because he was diagnosed of gastric cancer and had to resign, and in 2003 he died of gastric pain.

## Honours

### Manager

**[Dalian Wanda](/source/Dalian_Wanda)**

- [Chinese Jia-A League](/source/Chinese_Jia-A_League): [1994](/source/Chinese_Jia-A_League_1994)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["中国足球教父张宏根：甲A第一帅 祥福左三列门墙_国内足球_体坛周报·体坛网"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110717063557/http://cnsoccer.titan24.com/09-04-20/212192_4.html). Cnsoccer.titan24.com. Archived from [the original](http://cnsoccer.titan24.com/09-04-20/212192_4.html) on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["清明節專稿-中國足壇最不該被遺忘的五個名字 – 新浪網 – 足球"](http://soccer.sina.com.hk/cgi-bin/nw/show.cgi/1073/2/2/1811622/1.html). Soccer.sina.com.hk. 6 April 2009. Retrieved 3 August 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["足坛名宿张宏根昨夜去世 地位最特殊战绩最辉煌_国内足坛-国家队_NIKE新浪竞技风暴_新浪网"](http://sports.sina.com.cn/n/2003-11-26/0958673203.shtml). Sports.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 3 August 2010.

- [Chinese Soccer](https://web.archive.org/web/20110724070112/http://sports.skycent.net/?action-category-catid-13)

## External links

- [Zhang Honggen Biography](https://web.archive.org/web/20110717063557/http://cnsoccer.titan24.com/09-04-20/212192_4.html) at titan24.com

v t e Chinese Football Association Coach of the Year 1994: Zhang Honggen 1995: Xu Genbao 1996: Chi Shangbin 1997: Chi Shangbin 1998: Xu Genbao 1999: Santrač 2000: Lee Jang-soo 2001: Kosanović 2002: Zhu Guanghu 2003: Wu Jingui 2004: Zhu Guanghu 2005: Petrović 2006: Tumbaković 2007: Gao Hongbo 2008: Tumbaković 2009: Tang Yaodong 2010: Ivanković 2011: Ma Lin 2012: Okuka 2013: Lippi 2014: Manzano 2015: Scolari 2016: Scolari 2017: Cannavaro 2018: Li Xiaopeng

v t e China national football team – managers Li Fenglou (1951–52) Ke Lun (1956) Dai Linjing (1957) Chen Chengda (1958–62) Nian Weisi (1963) Fang Renqiu (1964) Nian Weisi (1965–73) Nian Weisi & Ren Bin (1974–76) Zhang Honggen (1977) Nian Weisi (1978) Zhang Honggen (1979) Nian Weisi (1980) Su Yongshun (1980–82) Zhang Honggen (1982) Zeng Xuelin (1983–85) Nian Weisi (1985–86) Gao Fengwen (1986–90) Gutendorf (1988) Xu Genbao & Gutendorf (1991–92) Chen Xirongc (1992) Schlappner (1992–93) Qi Wusheng (1994–97) Houghton (1997–99) Jin Zhiyangc (2000) Milutinović (2000–02) Shen Xiangfuc (2002) Haan (2002–04) Zhu Guanghu (2005–07) Petrović (2007–08) Yin Tieshengc (2008–09) Gao Hongbo (2009–11) Camacho (2011–13) Fu Boc (2013–14) Perrin (2014–16) Gao Hongbo (2016) Lippi (2016–19) Cannavaro (2019) Lippi (2019) Li Tie (2020–21) Li Xiaopeng (2021–22) Janković (2022–24) Ivanković (2024–25) Đurđevićc (2025) Shao Jiayi (2025–) (c) = caretaker manager

Authority control databases VIAF

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Zhang Honggen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Honggen) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Honggen?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.