Chinese goalkeeper coach Li pursues football dream in Europe

VIENNA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese coach Li Shi, a 40-year-old former Chengdu Rongcheng FC goalkeeper, is carving out a new life in European football, juggling language classes and multiple coaching roles in Austria as he works toward his long-term dream. On a Wednesday afternoon in Salzburg, western Austria, Li carried a bag of footballs out of the equipment room and headed toward the training ground. "My schedule is very full today," Li said. "I had German lessons this morning, I'll train two players here this afternoon, and in the evening I'll go to SV Groedig to run a session." After retiring, Li moved to Austria in 2023 to attend a UEFA goalkeeper coaching course, where he was the only...