According to Guangzhou Daily, Muric has said that he had hoped to become a naturalized player while playing in China, but no one contacted him to discuss the matter.
On May 28, Muric, the legendary foreign aid player who used to play for Guangzhou Evergrande (i.e., the Guangzhou team), Shijiazhuang Yongchang (now Cangzhou Lions) and other Chinese Super League (CSL) clubs, officially announced the end of his playing career. He took to his personal social media to thank China in particular, expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the Chinese Super League teams he has played for since 2010, as well as to the fans.
In more than five years of playing for Guangzhou, Muric won five Chinese Super League titles and one Chinese First Division title, as well as the AFC Championship, the AFC Cup and the Super Cup. In terms of personal honors, he won the Chinese Super League Golden Boot, the AFC Championship Golden Boot and the Chinese Super League MVP, so he can be considered a Grand Slam player.
Prior to the rise of the naturalization craze in the Chinese Super League gate, Muric had been the player most likely to achieve naturalized status. Especially after his son was born in Guangzhou in 2013, he had told the media that he wanted to continue playing in China. Years later, Muric revealed that despite his wishes at the time, no one involved had discussed naturalization with him.
Muric has made 388 appearances in his career, scoring 167 goals and assisting on 69 occasions. While playing for Guangzhou, he appeared in 131 games, scoring 67 goals, finishing with 44 assists, and did not receive a single red card.
