GUANGZHOU, China - Zheng Zhi, captain of Chinese Super League (CSL) giants Guangzhou Evergrande, has been appointed assistant coach of Evergrande's first team, the club announced on Tuesday.

"Zheng will not make a decision on whether to retire as a player before the start of the 2020 Chinese Super League season, which has been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic," a club official said.

The 39-year-old is one of China's most successful footballers, winning 17 trophies as captain of Evergrande, including two AFC Champions League titles and eight CSL championships.

Zheng was Asian Player of the Year in 2013, when Italian coach Marcello Lippi guided Evergrande to that year's AFC Champions League title.

Evergrande are now under the charge of fellow Italian Fabio Cannavaro. As a player, Zheng has worked with two World Cup winning coaches, Lippi and Luiz Felipe Scolari.

"Zheng is the best footballer in China. He has a profound understanding of the game and has the potential to become a top coach after finishing his playing career," Lippi said.

In his earlier career, Zheng won two more CSL titles, with Shenzhen in 2004 and Shandong in 2006. He joined English Premier League side Charlton Athletic in 2007. He also spent a year with Scottish giants Celtic before returning to China to join Evergrande in 2010.