Fail to satisfy the media
Growing up in Argentina, Zhou is not as fluent in Chinese as one would expect, which is a barrier when dealing with the media. This helps fuel negative reports about the man.
In a press conference, the chief coach was asked if he expected a success and the audience of Zico, the chief coach of Iraq national team during the next game. Zhou interpreted the question to Camacho that the media wanted to know his goal this time.
"The interpretation is just lame. What the media really wants to know is whether Camacho worries about his opponent," Fu Yayu, reporter from the Sports World said. After a few such engagements, media reporters started to feel angry towards Zhou, who deprived them of their chance for "spicy eye-catching" answers from the coach.
This also revealed another weakness of Zhou's. He is just too honest to make any instant performance catering to the camera. "Emotions, not just plain interpretations during such press conferences, are necessary," said Zhen Cheng, former interpreter for the national basketball team.
The scapegoat
Earlier last month, China lost 2-1 to Jordan in a World Cup Asian zone Group A match in Amman. Again, Zhou received attacks for "being too lazy."
He should have accompanied the coach to the race course instead of sitting tight on the substitute bench, many web users, as well as some media, commented after the match.
As a matter of fact, this wasn't allowed, not to mention Zhou had already tried many times to get near Camacho but received warnings from the fourth official.
"It's not Zhou's fault that the team failed to follow instructions or even win the game," Fu Yayu the experienced field reporter, added. "He is not that bad at his job, given that he has only been with the team a few months."
Based on past experience, China usually gives three years to a coach and his team to adjust themselves to each other; this wasn't the case with José Antonio Camacho Alfaro, not to mention with Zhou Yi. They took the job just months before big games.
Insiders told the China News Week that Zhou was only planning to help the team until it finds an interpreter in the first place. "See how he has been rewarded?" a man claiming to be Zhou's friend, asked.
Zhou's awkward situation is not surprising at all, given that, before him, bad weather, slippery football fields, and even the mood of players, were all once blamed for the poor performances of the national team.
This time, people have turned to an interpreter for the explanation.
