On June 5, Shandong Taishan drew 1-1 with Wuhan due to the absence of their main players, but a brilliant goal by 24-year-old midfielder Zhang Yuanshu took the spotlight. Despite the fact that as many as nine of Taishan's core players were unavailable, coach Li Xiaopeng sent in foreigners Fellaini and Leonardo to test the replacements.
The Chinese Super League entered a month-long vacation after the first five rounds, only to see the league's postponement potentially come true due to changes in the schedule of the national soccer team's World Preliminary League matches. Taishan continued their daily training at the base to prepare for the next challenge. The call-ups of international players have resulted in a disorganized squad, with Son Junho representing South Korea, while Artemis and Wang Dalei are with the Chinese men's football team preparing for the World Qualifiers in the United Arab Emirates.
In the absence of their starters, Taishan organized two warm-up matches to observe the performance of their replacements. In the warm-up matches, Wang Tong made his first comeback after injury at right back, while Duan Liuyu was named captain. Zhang Yuanshu's goal in the 30th minute energized Taishan, while Wuhan equalized late in the game.
The news of Fellaini's contract extension brings a sense of stability to the Taishan team. The foreigner's contract will be extended until December 31, 2025, which might be the last stop of his career. Fellaini has not only played a key role on the field, but also won the team's recognition with his outstanding performance.
Aside from Fellaini, Taishan have other players with noteworthy contracts. Goalkeeper Han Rongze, young players Duan Liuyu and Guo Tianyu are all under contract until 2025, while newcomers Xu Xin and Ji Xiang have long-term contracts to secure the team's future.
Taishan is not only focusing on the stability of existing players, but also actively developing young players. Young players such as Chen Pu and Fang Hao have shown their potential during their time on loan, while Liu Chaoyang, Ji Shengpan and Tian Yuda are also working on themselves in the Central League. Formation renewal is part of soccer, and Taishan is preparing for it.
