On March 27th, Oriental Sports Daily disclosed that Wu Xi, Zhu Chenjie, Wen Jiabao and many other famous players will return to Shanghai on Wednesday to join the Shenhua team's cooperative training. Meanwhile, the Shenhua contracts of three foreign players, Amadou, Yan Xinli and Malelai, have been finalized, and former Hebei goalkeeper Bao Yaxiong is expected to continue playing for Shenhua.
Despite the frequent changes in the team's personnel during the winter training, which affected the quality of training, head coach Wu Jingui said that the national team has many powerful players, which is a common honor for both the team and the players. He was confident that Shenhua's situation will improve, and emphasized that being selected for the national team is not only a recognition of the players' individual honor, but also an honor for the club. Wu Jingui encouraged the players to continue to work hard and said the club will fully support them.
According to the national team arrangements, the national soccer team and the Asian Games soccer players will depart from Auckland to return home, with an expected flight time of about 12 hours. After arriving in Guangzhou the following day, Shenhua players such as Wu Xi and Zhu Chenjie will transfer to Shanghai and are expected to return to the team on the 29th.
At present, Shenhua's foreign aid introduction is progressing steadily. In the warm-up match with Nantong Zhiyun, the contracts of new recruits Amadou, Yan Xinli and Malelai have been basically finalized. In addition, former Hebei goalkeeper Bao Yaxiong's stay in the team is almost a certainty, while former Hebei defender Cui Lin also participated in the trial. More newcomers may join the team in the future.
On Wednesday, Shenhua will have their fifth warm-up match at the Kangqiao Sports Base against League One side Shijiazhuang Kung Fu. Three new foreign aiders are expected to make their debut again. Shenhua's current staffing is complicated by the need to consider the five-foreign-aid program for the new season, as well as welcoming the return of national team players and the potential of young players. This makes the selection of the team's lineup even more tricky, and Shenhua is working hard to restructure the lineup.
