In the late afternoon, Shenhua soccer team held a grand ceremony for the 2021 season at the Kangqiao training base.
During the ceremony, Salon executives made clear their strategic goal for the new season: to secure the qualification for the AFC Champions League while striving for the league title.
Before the transfer window closed, Shenhua successfully signed two new defensive recruits - defender Jin Yangyang and goalkeeper Xue Qinghao. At the marching ceremony, the team unveiled the jersey numbers of the two new players, with Jin Yangyang wearing No. 4 and Xue Qinghao wearing No. 31. It is worth mentioning that center forward Yang Xu will wear the No. 15 jersey in the new season.
Throughout the winter transfer window, Shenhua brought in a total of eight new recruits, making the team much stronger in both offense and defense, especially in the offensive line, with new additions such as Wu Xi, Adrian, and Bassogo and other strong recruits injecting new energy into the team.
At the ceremony, Shenhua captain Moreno spoke passionately:
"There is definitely a lot to look forward to this season for the team and the fans. We will fight for the team to the end and hopefully we will all be proud of each other then."
Feng Xiaoting, the centerpiece of the backline, is firmly committed:
"We will certainly bring our best to the challenge of the new season."
Shenhua FC chairman Wu Xiaohui emphasized when talking about the team's goals for the new season:
"As a team in Shanghai and as Shenhua, we are bound to face pressure. in the 2021 season, we expect to return Shenhua to the top of the league, secure AFC Champions League qualification and further push for a higher target by striving for the league title through the concerted efforts of all staff. This is a strategy we all agree on."
He also expressed his hope that the players will fully trust head coach Choi Kang-hee and his coaching team and unite together to create seemingly impossible miracles.
Shenhua's old and new players have shown great enthusiasm and good condition in the winter training since January this year. In response to the skepticism about the age of many of the players introduced by Shenhua, Wu Xiaohui responded that the club believes that these players are in the prime of their careers, and believes that they will be able to respond to this skepticism with practical actions.
After the ceremony, Shenhua's team and coaching staff traveled to Suzhou by bus. In the first stage of the new season, Shenhua was placed in Group B, with opponents such as Shanghai Harbor and Beijing Guoan, etc. In the first round of the league on April 23, Shenhua will face Beijing Guoan.
