# Zhang Xiaorui

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Chinese footballer and manager

Zhang Xiaorui 张效瑞 Personal information Full name Zhang Xiaorui Date of birth (1976-03-05) March 5, 1976 (age 50) Place of birth Tianjin, China Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) Position Midfielder Youth career 1993–1998 Jianlibao Youth Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) 1999–2004 Tianjin Teda 78 (7) 2001 → Alemannia Aachen (loan) 5 (0) 2005–2006 Shanghai Zobon 46 (6) 2007 Shanghai Shenhua 6 (0) 2008 Tianjin Tuanbo New City 16 (2) International career‡ 1997 China U-20 1997–2001 China 12 (1) Managerial career 2008–2010 Tianjin Tuanbo New City 2012 Tianjin Teda U-19 2013 Tianjin Songjiang (caretaker) 2020 Shenzhen FC 2021 Shenzhen FC (caretaker) 2022 Shenzhen FC (caretaker) 2025 Foshan Nanshi 2026– Meizhou Hakka (caretaker) * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 6 Feb 2012 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 6 Feb 2012

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

**Zhang Xiaorui** ([simplified Chinese](/source/Simplified_Chinese_characters): 张效瑞; [traditional Chinese](/source/Traditional_Chinese_characters): 張效瑞; [pinyin](/source/Pinyin): *Zhāng Xiàoruì*; born March 5, 1976, in [Tianjin](/source/Tianjin)) is a [Chinese](/source/People's_Republic_of_China) [football](/source/Football_(soccer)) [manager](/source/Manager_(football)) and a former professional player.

He used to play for [Tianjin Teda](/source/Tianjin_Teda_F.C.), [Alemannia Aachen](/source/Alemannia_Aachen), [Shanghai Zobon](/source/Shanghai_United_F.C.) and [Shanghai Shenhua](/source/Shanghai_Shenhua). His first management assignment was with third-tier club [Tianjin Tuanbo New City](/source/Tianjin_Tianhai_F.C.) where he was initially brought in as a [player-manager](/source/Player-manager) before leaving the club at the end of the 2009 Chinese league season.

## Club career

### Early career

Like many promising young Chinese players Zhang Xiaorui was selected for a national youth development initiative that sent players abroad to train in [Brazil](/source/Brazil) for a five-year training programme sponsored by [Jianlibao](/source/Shenzhen_Shangqingyin) and called the Chinese Jianlibao Youth Football Team. After graduating from the Jianlibao Youth Team, Zhang joined [Tianjin Teda](/source/Tianjin_Jinmen_Tiger_F.C.) to start his professional football career. He quickly established himself as a key member of the squad and was named Young Player of the Year at the conclusion of the 1999 league season.[1]

### Alemannia Aachen

He would attract the interests of [German](/source/Germany) side [Alemannia Aachen](/source/Alemannia_Aachen) and play in the [2. Fußball-Bundesliga](/source/2._Fu%C3%9Fball-Bundesliga) during 2001 as part of a loan deal.[2] He, however found it difficult to establish himself within the team and would only make five league appearances before he returned to Tianjin Teda F.C. His return to China however saw his performances fluctuate due to injury the club allowed him to leave at the end of the 2004 league season.

### Move to Shanghai

Attempting to resurrect his career he would join [Shanghai Zobon](/source/Shanghai_United_F.C.) in 2005 where he showed some of the skill and consistency that was missing from his performances. By his next season with the club he had become an integral member of the team (now known as [Shanghai United](/source/Shanghai_United_F.C.)) and help them to a mid-table finish. The 2007 league season, however saw [Shanghai Shenhua](/source/Shanghai_Shenhua) merge with the club and Zhang Xiaorui would lose his place within the enlarged squad. In 2008, he was hired to be a [player-manager](/source/Player-manager) of [Chinese Yi League](/source/Chinese_Football_Association_Yi_League) club [Tianjin Tuanbo New City](/source/Tianjin_Tianhai_F.C.), where he would gradually move away from playing before he would officially retire as a player in 2009.[3]

## International career

Zhang Xiaorui was part of the [Jianlibao Youth](/source/Shenzhen_Shangqingyin) and [Chinese U-20 team](/source/China_national_under-20_football_team) that studied abroad and were fast-tracked by the Chinese Head coach [Qi Wusheng](/source/Qi_Wusheng) who included him in the squad in a friendly against [USA](/source/United_States_men's_national_soccer_team) on January 29, 1997, in a game that China won 2-1.[4] After making his senior debut he would go on to play for the Chinese U-20 team that took part in the [1997 FIFA World Youth Championship](/source/1997_FIFA_World_Youth_Championship) and once the tournament finished he was one of several players that would graduate from the Chinese Jianlibao Youth Football Team to the senior team along with [Li Jinyu](/source/Li_Jinyu), [Li Tie](/source/Li_Tie) and [Sui Dongliang](/source/Sui_Dongliang). He would go on to score his first goal against [Bosnia-Herzegovina](/source/Bosnia-Herzegovina_national_football_team) in a friendly on March 3, 1997, in a 3–0 win.[5] After playing in several [FIFA World Cup qualification](/source/FIFA_World_Cup_qualification) games he was dropped from the team after China did not qualify. After several years out being dropped from international football Zhang Xiaorui would return to the senior team when the new Chinese Head coach [Bora Milutinović](/source/Bora_Milutinovi%C4%87) would include him in the squads that were playing friendlies in preparation for the [2000 AFC Asian Cup](/source/2000_AFC_Asian_Cup), however once these ended the manager decided not to call him into the squad anymore.

## Management career

In 2008 Zhang Xiaorui was hired to be a [player-manager](/source/Player-manager) of [Chinese Yi League](/source/Chinese_Football_Association_Yi_League) club [Tianjin Tuanbo New City](/source/Tianjin_Tianhai_F.C.). In his first season, he would guide the team to a second-place finish in the Southern Group and a place in the play-offs where they were unable to win promotion. He was sacked on 10 March 2010, with [Belgian](/source/Belgium) manager [Patrick De Wilde](/source/Patrick_De_Wilde) taking charge.[6] In November 2010 Zhang would join [Tianjin Runyulong](/source/Shenyang_Shenbei_F.C.) as the club's General manager and oversaw the club's takeover of second-tier football club [Anhui Jiufang F.C.](/source/Anhui_Jiufang_F.C.) before leaving the club on January 5, 2012, to return to management with the [Tianjin Teda U-19](/source/Tianjin_Jinmen_Tiger_F.C.) team.[7]

On 17 October 2025, Zhang was appointed as the head coach of [China League One](/source/China_League_One) club [Foshan Nanshi](/source/Foshan_Nanshi_F.C.).[8]

On 26 January 2026, Zhang was appointed as the general manager of [China League One](/source/China_League_One) club [Meizhou Hakka](/source/Meizhou_Hakka_F.C.).[9]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["姓名：张效瑞"](http://sports.sina.com.cn/star/zhangxiaorui/index.shtml). sports.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2012-09-29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Zhāng, Xiàoruì"](http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/18419.html). *National-Football-Teams.com*. Retrieved 2012-09-29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["张效瑞：我将不再上场比赛 球队新赛季目标明确"](http://sports.enorth.com.cn/system/2009/02/12/003892327.shtml). sports.enorth.com.cn. 2009-02-12. Retrieved 2012-09-29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["China PR 2-1 USA"](http://teamchina.freehostia.com/en/match.php?date=1997-01-29). teamchina.freehostia.com. 1997-01-29. Retrieved 2012-09-29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["China PR 3-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina"](http://teamchina.freehostia.com/en/match.php?date=1997-03-02). teamchina.freehostia.com. 1997-03-02. Retrieved 2012-09-29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["天津松江宣布比利时人德维尔德挂帅 张效瑞下课"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120303052700/http://news.sports.cn/china/chinab/news/2010-03-10/1984998.html). news.sports.cn. 2010-03-10. Archived from [the original](http://news.sports.cn/china/chinab/news/2010-03-10/1984998.html) on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2012-09-29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["旧将张效瑞重返天津泰达 将出任俱乐部U19队主教练"](http://sports.sina.com.cn/j/2012-01-06/11155896515.shtml). sports.sina.com.cn. 2012-01-06. Retrieved 2012-09-29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["10月17日佛山南狮官宣：张效瑞出任主教练，刘云飞任门将教练"](https://www.163.com/dy/article/KC3UV9P10556C687.html). 163.com.cn. 2025-10-17. Retrieved 2025-10-17.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["官方：张效瑞出任梅州客家总经理，莱蒂耶里担任主教练"](https://m.dongqiudi.com/article/5633632.html). dongqiudi. 2026-01-26. Retrieved 2026-01-29.

## External links

- [Biography at Sina](http://sports.sina.com.cn/star/zhangxiaorui/index.shtml) (Chinese)

- [Zhang Xiaorui](https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/18419.html) at National-Football-Teams.com

v t e Chinese Football Association Young Player of the Year 1994: Zhuang Yi 1995: Xie Hui 1996: Yu Genwei 1997: Huang Dongchun 1998: Sun Jihai 1999: Zhang Xiaorui 2000: Qu Bo 2001: Zou Jie 2002: Xu Liang 2003: Liu Jindong 2004: Chen Tao 2005: Hao Junmin 2006: Wang Dalei 2007: Hao Junmin 2008: Huang Bowen 2009: Deng Zhuoxiang 2010: Zheng Zheng 2011: Song Wenjie 2012: Zhang Xizhe 2013: Jin Jingdao 2014: Liu Binbin 2015: Vacant 2016: Li Xiaoming 2017: Hu Jinghang 2018: Huang Zichang

v t e Tianjin Tianhai – managers Han Jinming (2007) Zhang Xiaorui (2008–09) Hao Haidongc (2010) de Wilde (2010–11) Hao Haitao (2012) Pei Encai (2013) Zhang Xiaoruic (2013) Bortoletto (2014) Cajuda (2014) Besek (2014–15) Sun Jianjunc (2015) Tomić (2015) Luxemburgo (2016) Cannavaro (2016–17) Sousa (2018) Park Choong-kyun (2018) Choi Kang-hee (2018–19) Shen Xiangfu (2019) Park Choong-kyun (2019) Li Weifeng (2019–20) (c) = caretaker manager

v t e Shenzhen F.C. – managers Hu Zhigang (1994–95) Zhou Hui'an (1995–96) Liu Jianjiang (1996–97) Lu Jianren (1997) Xiao Duoyin (1997–98) Zeng Xuelin (1998) Cha Bum-kun (1998–99) Tavares (1999–2000) Zhu Guanghu (2000–05) Chi Shangbin (2005) Guo Ruilong (2005) Xie Feng (2005) Wang Baoshan (2005–06) Xie Feng (2006) Zhang Jun (2006–07) Mai Chao (2007–08) Zhang Zengqun (2008–09) Fan Yuhong (2009) Xie Feng (2009) Gogić (2010–11) Troussier (2011–13) Li Yi (2013–15) Lee Lim-saeng (2015) Li Haiqiang (2015) Tang Yaodong (2015–16) Seedorf (2016) Eriksson (2016–17) Wang Baoshan (2017–18) López Caro (2018–19) Donadoni (2019–20) Zhang Xiaorui (2020) Cruyff (2020–21) Granero (2021) Zhang Xiaorui (2021) Lee Jang-soo (2022) Zhang Xiaorui (2022) Chen Tao (2023) Xiang Jun (2023–24)

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