Six games unbeaten! Li Weifeng sets an example for coaching changes.

Reporter Lu Mi reports. On the evening of May 23, in the 9th round of the China League One, Ningbo team defeated Dalian Kuncheng 1-0 at home, continuing the story of a new coach bringing immediate results.

Ningbo suffered four consecutive losses at the start, scoring 3 goals and conceding 10, sitting at the bottom of the standings. While deep in relegation trouble, the club decisively changed coaches. After Li Weifeng's team took over, Ningbo quickly transformed, achieving 3 wins and 2 draws in 5 league matches, and a 4-1 victory in the FA Cup to advance. The new coaching staff remained unbeaten in six matches across both competitions. Ningbo currently sits 11th in the League One standings with 8 points (deducted 3 points at the start of the season).

At the start of this League One season, Ningbo fell into unprecedented difficulties. The team relocated from Shanghai to Cixi, Ningbo, and before they could settle, they lost all first four league matches, struggling at the bottom of the table. The poor results not only damaged player morale but also put enormous pressure on the club. At the critical moment, the club decisively changed coaches, inviting former national team player Li Weifeng, who has rich coaching and relegation-escape experience, to take charge. A deep reform concerning the team's survival and future began.

After taking over, Li Weifeng first focused on the defensive system and game discipline to completely overhaul the team. As a former defender, he used his professional perspective to emphasize defensive positioning, physical intensity, and off-ball movement, quickly fixing weaknesses. Before Li took over, Ningbo conceded 10 goals in 4 matches; in the 5 league matches under his leadership, they conceded only 2 goals, marking a qualitative leap in defensive quality. Solid defense freed up space for offense. In Li's 5 league matches, Ningbo achieved 3 wins, 2 draws, and scored 8 goals (compared to only 3 goals in the previous 4 matches). Under Li Weifeng's coaching, Ningbo became balanced in both attack and defense, completely escaping the previous predicament of being unable to score or defend.

In addition to tactical adjustments, Li Weifeng's team also addressed issues of aging players and insufficient physical fitness by modifying training methods, using scientific training to increase intensity and quality. The high-intensity, high-quality training significantly improved players' physical condition and game resilience. They repeatedly seized opportunities or held onto leads in tight situations, greatly enhancing the team's stability.

Personnel allocation and a youth strategy were another major move by Li Weifeng's team in transforming Ningbo. After arriving, Li boldly gave opportunities to players such as Gao Haisheng, Liu Yue, Liu Yang, Pang Kaiyuan, and Qi Xinlei. In the FA Cup, he even fielded multiple U20 academy players. After these youngsters performed well in the cup, Li directly promoted them to the first team and let them play in League One matches.

After the move to Ningbo, due to poor quality training grounds, the team had to travel back and forth between Shanghai and Ningbo for training and matches, which hindered systematic preparation. With strong support from Cixi Cultural and Tourism, the construction of the club's new base has been accelerated and is expected to be completed this October. It will include standard pitches, modern offices, a professional gym, and supporting facilities, completely solving the training ground issue. Notably, the new training pitches will not only meet the team's training needs but also be open to the public. Funding from the Ningbo Municipal Sports Bureau has been gradually provided, the government has warmly embraced the team, and fan enthusiasm is high—all of which inject a strong boost into Ningbo's stable development.

It is understood that recent home matches of Ningbo have sold over 6,000 tickets, making it the team with the highest fan growth rate in League One. The original team jerseys, priced at over 400 yuan, have been selling like hotcakes, even temporarily out of stock. This reflects Ningbo's strong consumption power and, more importantly, the fans' high recognition of the team. A solid economic base and passionate fan culture will be valuable assets for Ningbo to take root and achieve sustainable development.

Currently, all statistical indicators of Ningbo's domestic and foreign players have improved comprehensively compared to the opening phase, directly driving the team's steady rise in results. The club plans to continue promoting young talents from the academy during the second transfer window to enhance the first team's squad vitality. Li Weifeng aims to build a well-structured domestic core with high chemistry, complemented by a few practical foreign players, balancing stable performance and sustainable development.

From a short-term perspective, Ningbo is very pragmatic: first stabilize its League One ranking, ensure safe survival, and complete an initial squad overhaul. The long-term vision is to build a healthy, sustainable competitive system based on the new base and a youthful roster. Of course, from Li Weifeng's personal standpoint, he also hopes to shed the "firefighter coach" label, build a long-term partnership with the club, and create a professional team with ambition and stable strength.

With strong support from the local government, the imminent completion of the new base, steady progress in personnel adjustments, and an increasingly mature tactical system, the comeback story of this new Ningbo team will continue.