Guangzhou Football Club is under heavy financial pressure.
China Super League (soccer league)
The league's competitive level has fluctuated and declined, a backdrop that has, unsurprisingly, given rise to the idea of fleeing Chinese soccer for all Chinese Super League foreigners, including naturalized players. At just 30 years old, Golat was eager to maintain his soccer career and wanted to play at a higher level of the league. So, after the National Day, he had a frank exchange with the club, clearly expressing his desire to return to the Brazilian league. Guangzhou Football Club naturally did not put up any obstacles. After negotiations, Gallart gave up most of his remaining salary and both sides reached an agreement to terminate his contract. As Gallart said in his farewell, "This decision is the best choice for both sides".
Golat disheartened as World Qualifying dreams dashed
While the financial woes of the Guangzhou club were the immediate cause of Golat's departure, the core reason that prompted his early departure was the fact that despite being naturalized, he was never eligible to play for China. Especially after his dream of qualifying for the World Cup was dashed, Golat, who had his heart set on representing China in the World Cup, felt discouraged.
In 2017, Lippi-coached China beat Qatar 2-1 away in the final round of the Round of 12, but still did not qualify for the 2018 Russia
World Cup
. To make an impact in Qatar 2022
World Cup
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has launched an unprecedented naturalization program. Naturalization plan is divided into two fronts: one is the "blood naturalization", the global recruitment of players with three generations of Chinese blood, such as the introduction of Jiang Guangtai from the United Kingdom, Li Ke, from Norway to find Hou Yongyong, and even from the South American discovery of Xiaotao Tao, etc.; the second is the naturalization of non-blood, mainly for the players in the
China Super League (soccer league)
Well-known foreigners who played for the team, such as Ackerson, Lok Kwok Foo, Alan, Fernando, Golat, Delgado and other players have been naturalized. Among them, Aixon and Gallart are "
Evergrande (name)
The important founder of the "Dynasty", Luo Guofu is the founder of
China Super League (soccer league)
top scorer, and Allan holds the aura of the original UEFA Cup top scorer. It's fair to say that these non-blooded naturalized players are starting from quite a high point. For this reason, with
Evergrande (name)
Group led by the parent company of the Premier League clubs paid a huge price.
As the MVP of the original Liga MX, Gaolat is the Guangzhou
Evergrande (name)
The most important player in winning the Asian Championship for the second time and one of the most highly expected naturalized players. Gallart has been selected for the Brazilian national training team and played one friendly match for the Brazilian team. He has been hoping for the opportunity to represent Brazil in the
World Cup
. However, Golat had no chance in the talent-rich Brazilian team. When Lippi coached the Chinese team, the parties concerned convinced Golat, who also chose to return due to the opportunity to represent China in the World Qualifiers
China Super League (soccer league)
and naturalized in China.
However, Golat's path to naturalization has been problematic.After joining the Chinese Super League in 2015, according to FIFA's naturalization conditions, he must meet the requirement of "five consecutive years of uninterrupted life" in China, but Golat returned to Brazil in 2018 and signed a loan contract with Brazilian club Palmeiras at the beginning of 2019. This is the reason why Golat was unable to meet the "five years of continuous uninterrupted life in China" requirement, and why his naturalization applications were repeatedly rejected by FIFA. Although the Evergrande Group has hired the most famous lawyers in Europe to fight hard, but Golat still became a "fish out of water" in the naturalization army.
After the successful naturalization of Ackerson, Luo Guofu, Alan, Fernando, Jiang Guangtai and others, Evergrande Group has always appeased Golat and never gave up the fight for his naturalization. But seeing his teammates represent China in the World Qualifiers and himself ineligible, Golat's initial
World Cup
The dream is shattered. He won't be eligible to play for China until 2024, when he will be 33 years old, and Golat can't wait any longer. More importantly, the Chinese national team is a mess, and Golat has no hope.
The naturalization tide recedes as the "persona" collapses
Back then, the Galatas joined the Chinese Super League and accelerated its march towards being Asia's No. 1 league, and today, their departure epitomizes the precariousness of the Chinese Super League. The naturalization wave of two years ago began to recede early before it could help the Chinese national team break out of Asia. On the eve of China's imminent faltering in the Round of 12, this round of naturalization has clearly failed early.
In the league, due to the background of the Chinese Super League salary limit, the naturalized players of the super-high salary income has been letting them bear huge public pressure, the slightest performance is not as good as expected, will incur the outside world fierce criticism and even curses; in the national team, the manager Li Tie about the use of the naturalized players sparked a huge controversy. Luo Guofu, Alan physical fitness, is Li Tie in the first half of the 12 strong tournament not to reuse their reasons, but Luo Guofu, Alan and others in the limited playing time performance proved that with or without the presence of the naturalized players, the number of naturalized players on the field, indeed, let the Chinese team is like two teams. In the two games against Japan and Saudi Arabia, naturalized players, especially Luo Guofu, Alan's debut, so that the Chinese team's performance of a new look, get the public opinion and the fans of the strong support, people clearly viewed, the naturalized players is indeed the strength of the Chinese team to improve the important factors.
Li Tie about Luo Guofu, Alan and other people playing time less explanation is "lack of physical fitness", but from the game to see, obviously can not stand. Especially Luo Guofu in the game of unremitting fighting spirit, is the Chinese team has long been missing the spiritual impetus, in the ignition of public opinion praise, triggered the fans to support at the same time, but also to let Li Tie into a predicament, Li Tie's "physical say" also does not attack from the collapse.
Polarization of perceptions, a new round of pushback and reconstruction
Nowadays, the existence of naturalized players has become a "sticking point" between the CFA and the clubs, and has also seriously split the opinion camp of Chinese soccer. Under these circumstances, naturalized players are hardly a purely footballing factor. The plight of Luo Guofu, Alan and Ekerson in the national team, and Fernando's absence from the Top 12 tournament due to a training injury in the national team, all reveal the tense ties and hostility between the national team and local teams, and between the CFA and local clubs. All of this, apparently, magnifies the responsibility of naturalized players and puts them on the hook for things they shouldn't be on the hook for.
Following Gaolat, several other naturalized players will follow suit. If nothing else, they have decided that instead of returning to China after playing against Australia in the sixth round of the Top 12, they will fly directly back to Brazil from Qatar. Whether they will return to participate in the Chinese Super League in the future, and whether they will continue to participate in the next year's Round of 12, is now full of uncertainty.
According to the current points situation, the Chinese national team is very likely to go out early once again, the Chinese Super League salary arrears have become a trend of chicken feathers, Chinese soccer in the past two years quickly from the peak of the downward spiral. It is certain that in the coming period of time, Chinese soccer will once again face the vicious cycle of pushing down and rebuilding round after round for decades. Where do naturalized players go from here as Chinese soccer continues to lose? Perhaps we should ask, in the naturalized players where to go, we can still see the direction of Chinese soccer?
