7 players who left everything to go to China
It is not a secret that a couple of years ago, when the Chinese soccer league began to be reborn, several players accepted the juicy offers to participate in football there.
Javier Mascherano, Marouane Fellaini and Oscar / Photos: Oleg Bkhambri, Кирилл Венедиктов and Ben Sutherland.
LatinAmerican Post | Laura Viviana Guevara
Listen to this article
Leer en español: 7 jugadores que lo dejaron todo para ir a China
Even Xi Jinping spoke about it and outlined a plan stating that by 2050, China would be the winner of the World Cup. To achieve this, he proposed that “20,000 football academies and 70,000 fields be opened by 2020, with 50 million children and adults playing,” according to BBC.
However, since the Government began to put certain obstacles in the signing of foreign players and the number of players, the hype that was made around this new league ceased.
One of the hardest blows, without a doubt, is that a team that signs a foreign player has to pay a 100% tax, that is to pay twice as much. Hence, large numbers were not seen again in new hires. In addition, per team there must be a maximum of four international players, added that the goalkeeper must be Chinese, and that per game two U23 players must be summoned and at least one of them plays throughout the match.
Even with all these obstacles, there are foreign players who are still playing for the Chinese Super League , unlike others, such as Colombians Freddy Guarín and Jackson Martínez. This is why in LatinAmerican Post we show you seven players who are still in the Chinese league.
1.Hulk
The popular Brazilian soccer player played for important teams such as Porto and Zenit St. Petersburg. He stood out because during his time in the Portuguese team he scored 79 goals from 168 games he played.
In 2016, its transfer to Shanghai SIPG was formalized for a figure of 55.8 million, one of the most expensive transfers of the season. In its passage by the Chinese team it has generated 51 assists, 67 goals in its 119 games played. The captain has a contract until June 2020 and is expected to seek new opportunities in Europe.
2. Giovanni Moreno
The Colombian soccer player arrived at Shanghai Shenhua after an incident with his previous club the Racing Club; when, after losing the classic against Independiente, Moreno and several other players were threatened with a revolver. In this way he ended his era, after 50 games and 12 goals.
His arrival at Shanghai Shenhua was in 2013, where he gradually consolidated himself as one of the best players, being the 2017 season his best performance when he scored 15 goals. So far in 2019, Moreno has scored five goals.
CFA Cup semi final
gooooooal 68min
Giovanni Moreno
Dalian Yifang 1-3 Shanghai Shenhua pic.twitter.com/r6xaTOg6mP— China football news (@wangchen2nd) August 19, 2019
3. Mascherano
The Argentine soccer player, who played for important teams such as the River Plate, the Corinthians, the Liverpool, the Barcelona, among others, was also an important figure in the Argentine national team, with which he played until 2018.
After passing through the Spanish team, he was signed by Hebei Fortune, in a transaction that cost the club 10 million euros. According to El Día, the central midfielder would be close to finishing his contract with the team and the rumors that he could reach the Argentinean Student Club are becoming more and more intense.
Read also: The diets and routines of CR7 and 5 other soccer players
4. Fernandinho
The Brazilian Fernando Henrique da Conceição, not to confuse with the other Fernandinho who plays for Manchester City, currently plays for Hebei Fortune, after being lent by his team the Chongqing Dangdai.
Upon arrival, the Brazilian said, “I will defend the colors of Hebei Fortune with the same commitment and dedication that made me gain recognition in Dangdai and Chinese football. I had a wonderful reception and I will do my best to return the trust and effort that Hebei has made to obtain my loan, ”in statements collected by Lance.
5. Fellaini
The Belgian player landed in the Chinese Super League after playing in the Premier League for teams such as Liverpool and Manchester United in February 2019. In his first game under Shandong Luneng he debuted with a goal at 50 minutes. The goal that gave the victory over Guizhou Renhe.
According to 90 minutes, Fellaini would have accepted the deal not only because of his low presence in United but with his arrival, he would earn “11 million euros per year net”. According to the journalist Guillem Balague, the transfer was 7 million euros.
6.Oscar
Another young Brazilian talent who decided to play under the Chinese Super League. From the beginning Oscar was listed as a jewel in his country's football, which is why he was able to play for Chelsea. However, in the midst of his career boom, the soccer player decided to leave for China.
Oscar was able to take advantage of the rise of the league, he arrived at his current club Shanghai SIPG in 2016, after a transfer of around 70 million euros, added to that he would earn 25 million euros. So far in 2019, he has scored more than 25 goals.
7. Harold Precious
The Colombian soccer player played in Deportivo Cali, until 2017, when his transfer to Shenzhen FC is formalized, for a figure of seven million euros. In his debut, he was the author of three goals of the six that his team scored for Dalian Transcendence, thus being the figure of the match.
His performance and continuity in the field was one of the factors that allowed his team to rise to the first division of Chinese football. In this way, he debuted in the Chinese Super League against Hebei Fortune, a match in which he scores one of the three goals that led them to victory. It was recently confirmed that Preciado extended his contract with the Chinese team until 2022, according to Marca.
