Why did Paulinho suddenly return to Guangzhou in this cold winter of December? Many fans have questions. Some said he was going back to his old employer to ask for his salary, others thought if he was coming back to participate in some activities, and some fans even said he was coming back to play in the Chinese Super League. The answer has actually been announced, as Jose, the former Evergrande club translator, explained a few days ago.
Speaking of this return, Evergrande's translator summarized it in two words before translating - pure fun (below)! On his personal social media platform, he wrote: "Many people ask me about Pauli. This time, Paulie and his family and friends came to China for Christmas and New Year. No commercial activities, purely for fun."
It's just one sentence, but there are a couple of messages:First, Paulinho didn't go back to Guangzhou alone, but came with his family and friends. Secondly, he said he will bring his family and friends to China for Christmas and New Year. In other words, after New Year's Day, he will return to Brazil. Thirdly, this time he doesn't have any business activities, he just comes back to play.
In other words, the 35-year-old Paulinho will not participate in any Guangzhou team activities this time back and will not return to play in the Chinese Super League, but just come to play as a friend. Many fans may be disappointed to hear this, especially Evergrande fans.
In fact, the translator's interpretation should be correct. According to a photo by a former Evergrande teammate (above), Paulinho is back with at least two of his sons. Another kid in the front row should be Huang Bowen's son.
In addition, Paulinho stopped by for an interview with Feng Xiaoting, during which he couldn't help but shout out his familiar catchphrase - "Are you confident?"
Although it was just a trip, Paulinho still appreciated his old employer. After arriving in Guangzhou, he deliberately chose a hotel close to the Tianhe Sports Center to stay. Then, he stood on a high floor of the hotel overlooking the Tianhe Sports Center (below) and posted a picture on his personal social media platform, which reads "Gratitude + Prayer Blessing". This shows that Paulinho is a person who knows how to be grateful.
Paulinho has only been with Guangzhou Evergrande for about five years, a few years less than Oscar, who played in Hong Kong. However, if we were to say who is the best foreigner in the Chinese Super League, Paulinho would not be recognized as number one.
Why? Because comparisons are not only based on time, but also on the player's contribution to the team and the Chinese Super League. Paulinho's honor of helping his team win the AFC Champions League alone puts Oscar far behind.
Oscar played for Hong Kong for seven years, earning nearly 160 million euros, but only brought the team two Chinese Super League titles, two controversial ones at that.
Currently, Paulinho has a couple more contracts with Barclays Premier League giants Corinthians. It would not be surprising if a Chinese Super League team extends an offer to him at this point. After all, Zheng Zhi can play until he's 40 and Paulinho can play until he's 36. ~At 37, that's not to be ruled out either. This stage coincides with the time when the Chinese Super League teams contact foreign aid introduction, will there be such a possibility? We will wait and see.
