Dong Fangzhuo Responds to “Being Proved Wrong”: Thrilled About U23 Team Reaching Final

On the evening of January 21, 40-year-old Chinese football legend Dong Fangzhuo responded to the playful online remarks about him being “proved wrong” after China’s U23 team advanced to the AFC U23 final. Dong admitted he was indeed “proved wrong,” but his attitude was very positive: “Seeing everyone joking about me being wrong—yes, I was—but I’m really happy! I hope the national team can always ‘prove me wrong’ in this brilliant, dominant way on the field.”

Earlier, Dong had publicly criticized the young players after the U23 team advanced from the group stage, saying they “had nothing but defense, and their attack relied on individual efforts, lacking team cohesion.” However, the team responded with two consecutive wins, reaching the final for the first time—a perfect rebuttal.

Dong added: “Matches like this are extremely beneficial for Chinese football. It shows that China can play possession-based, aggressive, and penetrating football—not just booting the ball forward from defense. If being ‘proved wrong’ happens in this way, I fully welcome it, and I’m very happy the national team made the final.”

He also stressed: “Returning to purely defensive football without attack is meaningless for development. Players’ confidence on the field is vital. I hope this confidence carries through every match and against every opponent, winning beautifully rather than only showing flashes of brilliance occasionally.”