Zhang Tiangang
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 20 February 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Beijing, China | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2004 | Xiamen Blue Lions | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2007 | Xiamen Blue Lions | ||
| 2008–2009 | Qingdao Hailifeng | ||
| 2010–2011 | Nanchang Hengyuan | 10 | (1) |
| Total | 10 | (1) | |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Zhang Tiangang (simplified Chinese: 张天罡; traditional Chinese: 張天罡; pinyin: Zhāng Tiāngāng; born 20 February 1985) is a Chinese former footballer.[1]
Career
[edit]Early career
[edit]Born in Beijing, Zhang was selected to study at the China Football School in Qinhuangdao at the age of twelve.[2] Four years later, in July 2001, he was signed by professional club Xiamen Blue Lions (then known as Xiamen Hongshi),[3] but would remain on the bench for most games.[2] Following the arrival of manager Gao Hongbo in February 2004, Zhang saw his playing time increase, and he helped the club reach the Chinese Super League ahead of the 2006 season.[2]
Qingdao Hailifeng match-fixing scandal
[edit]Following Gao's departure as head coach during the 2006 season, Zhang would also leave the club after the following year, dropping down to the China League One with Qingdao Hailifeng.[2] It was at Qingdao Hailifeng that he would be subject to allegations of match-fixing. In the match against Sichuan in September 2009, Qingdao Hailifeng were leading 3–0 with twenty minutes remaining, however club chairman Du Yunqi had bet before the game that there would be four goals scored, and instructed his players to score in either goal.[4] Zhang was one of the players to attempt to score an own goal, alongside teammate Li Ming, whose first effort was saved by goalkeeper Mu Pengfei, before a second hit the post.[5]
Zhang's own effort went wide of the goal, and Qingdao Hailifeng went on to win 3–0.[6] Zhang denied the allegations, stating that he "would have been fired by the club long ago", had he been involved in any match-fixing.[6] While teammates Li Ming and Du Bin were given lifetime bans by the Chinese Football Association (CFA), Zhang escaped punishment, with media in Nanchang describing him as "a survivor of the shipwreck".[2]
Later career
[edit]Following the suspension of Qingdao Hailifeng by the CFA, Zhang joined Chinese Super League club Nanchang Hengyuan for the 2010 season.[6]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]| Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Xiamen Blue Lions | 2006 | Chinese Super League | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2 |
| 2007 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | ||
| Total | 36 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 2 | ||
| Nanchang Hengyuan | 2010 | Chinese Super League | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 2011 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| Total | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 46 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 3 | ||
- Notes
- ↑ Includes Chinese FA Cup
References
[edit]- ↑ Zhang Tiangang at Soccerway. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "扫赌受害者：吊射门主角幸存 08标王或被迫退役" [Victims of gambling crackdown: The protagonist of the lob shot survives; the 2008 record signing may be forced to retire]. Sohu (in Chinese). 28 March 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "主力球员"新人类"竟达7人 厦门石狮新生代抢班夺权" [Seven key players are considered "new talents," a remarkable surge in the number of players from Xiamen and Shishi, who are now vying for leadership]. Sina Sports (in Chinese). 21 April 2004. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "公安机关查明吊射门真相 海利丰老板指使球员造假" [Police investigation reveals the truth behind the lob shot incident: Hailifeng's owner instructed the players to commit fraud]. Sina Sports (in Chinese). 24 February 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "足坛拍案惊奇系列之青岛海利丰吊射门" [Football Amazing Case Series: Qingdao Hailifeng's Lob Shot]. Dongqiudi (in Chinese). 22 April 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 "吊射门缔造者不怕公安调查 称冲超作假11场远不够" [The perpetrator of the lob shot is not afraid of police investigation, claiming that 11 matches of match-fixing were far from enough to secure promotion]. Phoenix Television (in Chinese). 18 November 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2026.