Guangzhou team is facing financial pressure, the standard of the Chinese Super League has fluctuated, in this context, many foreign aid and naturalized players in the Chinese Super League have the intention to "escape" from the national football team, which is common sense. Golat, the 30-year-old star, is eager to continue his soccer career and show his skills in a high-level league, and after the National Day, he communicated frankly with the club and made it clear that he wished to return to the Brazilian league. Guangzhou Football Club also did not set obstacles. In the negotiations, Golat gave up most of his remaining salary, and the two sides reached a consensus on the termination of the contract. Golat said on his departure, "This is the best choice for both sides."
Golat disheartened as World Qualifier dream shatters
Guangzhou's financial woes were the direct cause of Golat's departure, and at the heart of his early departure was the fact that despite naturalization, he was never eligible to represent China. After his dream of playing in the World Cup was shattered, Golat, who had his heart set on representing China in the World Cup, was doubly disappointed.
In 2017, the Lippi-coached national football team defeated Qatar 2-1 on the road in the Round of 12, but still did not qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. In order to impact the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the national football team opened an unprecedented naturalization road. The naturalization plan is divided into two lines: one is the "bloodline naturalization", the global recruitment of three generations of Chinese blood players, such as the introduction of Jiang Guangtai from the United Kingdom, Li Ke, from Norway to find Hou Yongyong, and even from South America to find Xiaotao Tao Tao and other players; the second is the naturalization of the non-Chinese bloodline, mainly for the Chinese Super League to play for the fame of the foreign aid, such as Aixon, Luo Guofu, Alan, Fernando, Gaolat, Delgado and other players have been naturalized. Among them, Aixon, Golat is an important founder of the "Evergrande Dynasty", Luo Guofu is the best scorer in the Chinese Super League, and Alan has the halo of the former UEFA Cup top scorer. It can be said that these non-blood naturalized players start from a fairly high point. For this reason, the parent companies of the Chinese Super League clubs, led by the Evergrande Group, have paid a huge price.
A former Liga MX MVP, Gallart was a key player in Guangzhou Evergrande's second AFC Champions League triumph and is one of the most highly touted naturalized players. He was selected for the Brazilian national training team and played a friendly match for the Brazilian team. He has always longed for the opportunity to represent Brazil in the World Cup. But in the talent-rich Brazilian team, Gallart had no chance. When Lippi was coaching the Chinese team, the parties concerned convinced Golat, and the latter chose to return to the Chinese Super League and become naturalized in China because of the opportunity to represent the Chinese team in the World Cup.
However, Golat's path to naturalization has been problematic.After joining the Chinese Super League in 2015, according to FIFA's naturalization conditions, he had to meet the requirement of "five consecutive years of uninterrupted life" in China, but Golat had returned to Brazil in 2018 and signed a lease contract with the Brazilian club Palmeiras in early 2019. It is for this reason that Golat was unable to meet the requirement of "five years of continuous uninterrupted life in China" and his naturalization requests were repeatedly rejected by FIFA. Although the Evergrande Group hired the most famous lawyers in Europe to argue, but Golat still became the naturalization army "fish".
After the naturalization success of Ackerson, Luo Guofu, Alan, Fernando, Jiang Guangtai and others, Evergrande Group has been to appease Golat, and has never given up on his naturalization fight. But seeing his teammates representing China in the World Qualifying Tournament and himself ineligible, Golat's initial dream of a World Cup 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 current national soccer team is in a mess, and Golat can't see hope.
The naturalization tide recedes as the "persona" collapses
Back then, the Galatas joined the Chinese Super League and helped it move towards being the number one league in Asia, but today, their departure epitomizes the precariousness of the Chinese Super League. The naturalization wave of two years ago has begun to recede early before it has helped the national football team break out of Asia. On the eve of China's imminent faltering in the Round of 12, this round of naturalization has clearly been an early loss.
In the league, due to the background of the Super League limited investment and salary, the high salary income of the naturalized players has been let them deep into a huge public pressure, the slightest poor performance, will incur the outside world fierce criticism and even curses; in the national team, manager Li Tie on the use of naturalized players has triggered 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 the presence of naturalized players, naturalized players to play the number of times, 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 performance of the Chinese team a new look, get the public opinion and the fans of the strong support, people clearly viewed, the naturalized players is indeed to let the Chinese team's strength to get an important factor.
Li Tie about Luo Guofu, Alan and other people less time to play the explanation is "lack of physical fitness", but from the game to see, obviously does not stand. Especially Luo Guofu's unyielding fighting spirit in the game, it is the Chinese team has long been missing spiritual power, in the ignition of public praise, detonation of fan support at the same time, but also let Li Tie into the embarrassment, Li Tie's "physical say" also not attacked from the collapse.
Polarization of perceptions, another round of pushbacks
Nowadays, the existence of naturalized players has become a national football association and clubs between the "mustard", but also seriously divided the national soccer opinion camp. Under such circumstances, naturalized players are hardly a purely footballing factor. The embarrassing situation of Luo Guofu, Alan, and Ackerson in the national team, and the fact that Fernando was injured in the national team and thus missed the 12-team tournament, all reveal the tensions and hostility between the national team and the local teams, and between the National Football Association (NFA) and the local clubs. All of this clearly magnifies the responsibility of the naturalized players and puts them on the hook for things they shouldn't have to be on the hook for.
Following Golat, 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 or not they will return to the Chinese Super League in the future, and whether or not they will continue to participate in next year's Round of 12, is now looking fraught with uncertainty.
According to the current points situation, the national football team is very likely to be another early exit, the Chinese Super League salary arrears into the wind a chicken feather, the national soccer in the past two years quickly from the peak of the downward spiral. It is certain that in the next period of time, the national soccer will once again face the vicious cycle of decades of round after round of push back and rebuild. Where do the naturalized players go from here as the national soccer team continues to lose? Perhaps we should ask, in the naturalized players of the question of where to go, we can still see the direction of the country's soccer?
