As I'm sure many fans know, our Premier League went through a golden age for almost 10 years. At that time, almost every club we had was rich and they spent money by buying big foreign aid and hoarding more international players. So the Chinese Super League became a dirt-cheap league. At the time, the stars of the Chinese Super League shone, including famous coaches like Lippi and Eriksson, and stars like Drogba, Anelka, Conca, Hulk and Oscar. So the league was much more decorated and the AFC Champions League did well. Even our Football Association has shouted the slogan of building the sixth largest league in the world.
However, when the golden dollar era entered the middle and late stages, the clubs have been involved in an arms race. From the initial foreigners, to internationals and even young players, so that some young players who don't make the first team can be paid millions a year. But with all of this done, there seems to be nothing left to roll over, and for a long time we seemed to have no incentive to keep comparing. The Golden Era is also starting to take a downward turn.
At that time, our CFA started the naturalization era in Chinese soccer, so naturalized players became the new way out for various giants to chase. Beijing Guoan were the first to bring in Hou Yong Yong and Li Ke, while Shandong Taishan also brought in the young Portuguese player Delgado. Of course, the most powerful one is Guangzhou Evergrande, who naturalized 7 naturalized players at one time, including Ickerson, Alan, Luo Guofu, Fernando, Gaolat, Jiang Guangtai and Xiao Tao Tao. Obviously, Guangzhou Evergrande won.
It is worth noting that in the first season of naturalized players, as long as you are a Chinese national, you can participate in the Chinese Super League as a domestic aid. So many teams start to panic, Guangzhou Evergrande team naturalized 7 people, if the introduction of 4 foreign aid, is not equal to "all foreign aid" to play the Chinese Super League? How can other teams play. So in the second season, FA changed the rules of naturalized players, limited the number of non-Chinese players, and stipulated that non-Chinese naturalized players have Chinese nationality, but they are not qualified to play for the national soccer team, they have to be foreign aid. So Evergrande's naturalization advantage disappeared and other teams balanced out.
However, this rule, which was supposed to limit Evergrande's naturalization, has overwhelmed another team's naturalized player. He is Delgado of Shandong Taishan. Delgado was the first non-blood naturalization in the history of Chinese soccer naturalization, but in the FIFA naturalization rules at that time, it was impossible for him to play for the national football team. But in the first season, there was no restriction in the Chinese Super League, so Delgado played in the 2019 season as an inside backer. But in the second season, Evergrande was restricted and so was Delgado. Under the circumstances, Delgado was not only a foreign aid in the Chinese Super League, but also in any other country's league on earth. He immediately became the chosen foreigner.
Due to this embarrassing situation, Shandong Taishan even almost gave up on Delgado and rented him back to Portugal. But in the middle of the second season, FIFA changed the rules and Delgado suddenly had the possibility to represent the national soccer team for only five seasons in China. So he was urgently recalled to the team, but due to the rules of the Chinese Super League at the time, although he could potentially play for the national soccer team, he did not reach the five-year threshold, so he could still only be considered a foreigner. So in the second half of the 2020 season, he could only live in the reserve team.
In the 2021 season, Delgado did not enroll until the second half of the season as Shandong Taishan chased the title. Happily, Delgado performed very well in the second half of the season, starting 10 out of 18 games, scoring 9 goals and 3 assists, helping Shandong Taishan win the Chinese Super League and FA Cup double. However, in the 2022 season, Delgado was once again not registered as the team wanted to defend their title and brought in new foreigners. In the second half of the season, he was loaned out to Kunshan FC, where Delgado continued to perform well in his half-season there, making 8 starts in 18 games, scoring 7 goals and 2 assists to help the team go above and beyond.
With two consecutive outstanding seasons and a huge change in the rules of the Chinese Super League in 2023, many expect Delgado to return to Shandong Taishan and serve as a domestic aid in the new season. But unfortunately, Delgado may be used as a foreign aid for the third consecutive season. According to Shandong TV sports channel, the 2023 professional league music department meeting was held at the Xianghe national team base, and the meeting had no substantial changes to the policy on foreign aid and naturalized players, which means that Delgado, a naturalized player from Taishan, will be registered as a foreign aid when he qualifies for China's national team five years before he becomes a naturalized player.
Delgado himself seemed to know the news recently, with social media posting photos of him training alone in the gym. It's clear that he's working hard, but it's inevitable that he's lost something. After all, it's been almost four years since he joined China, and it's really a bit ironic that he can only play as a foreigner now. Moreover, it is likely that Delgado will continue to be on loan in the new season and will not be able to play in Taishan.
Do you think Delgado is a pity? Guangzhou Evergrande has been relegated. Should the FA change the rules for naturalized players? Welcome friends to discuss in the comment section!
