Zhao played for the club for three seasons before retiring in 1998 to focus on coaching.
In 2000, Zhao briefly came out of retirement to play for the club due to an injury crisis, and renamed Chongqing Lifan following his takeover.
[citation needed] On 3 August 1990, Zhao made his debut for China in a 1–1 draw against South Korea.
In 2007, Zhao became an assistant coach at former club Liaoning, before becoming a player for Hunan Billows in 2009.
In 2014, Zhao was appointed a manager of Nanjing Qianbao, and remained in the club for a season after their relocation to Chengdu.