Why did Paulinho take the plunge and return to Guangzhou on a chilly December day? Questions lingered in the minds of fans. Rumor has it that he returned to claim his unpaid wages, there were speculations that he might have come to participate in an event, and some fans were convinced that he was about to join the Chinese Super League. However, the truth has already come out and Jose, the former translator of Evergrande, has already clarified it not long ago.
Jose prefaced his translation of his return with the words "pure fun" (see below). He posted on his social media platform, "Many people have asked about Paulie. Paulie and his family and friends are in China for Christmas and New Year. No commercial matters, purely for fun."
This short response reveals several things: firstly, Paulinho is not alone, but is traveling with family and friends. Secondly, he said that he will spend the holidays in China with his family and friends, meaning that he will return to Brazil after New Year's Day. Thirdly, the trip has no commercial purpose and is purely for leisure.
It can be seen that the 35-year-old Paulinho's return this time is not to participate in the activities of the Guangzhou team or return to the Chinese Super League, but as a friend to play here. When the news came out, many fans inevitably felt lost, especially Evergrande fans.
In fact, Jose's explanation should be credible. As seen in the photo of former teammates (above), Paulinho is traveling with at least two sons. In the front row, there is also a man who is suspected to be the son of Huang Bowen.
In addition, Paulinho was interviewed by Feng Xiaoting, during which he couldn't help but blurt out that familiar mantra - "Are you confident?"
Despite the fact that this was only a trip, Paulinho was still grateful to his former employers. Upon arriving in Guangzhou, he chose to stay at a hotel close to the Tianhe Sports Center. Standing on a high floor of the hotel overlooking the Tianhe Sports Center (pictured below), he shared a photo on his social media platforms with the caption "Gratitude + Prayer Blessings". This shows that Paulinho is a person who knows how to be grateful.
Paulinho played for Guangzhou Evergrande for just five years, a shorter period of time compared to Oscar in Hong Kong. However, if we talk about the best foreigners in the Chinese Super League, Paulinho may not be ranked first.
The reason for this is that the evaluation is not only based on the length of time, but also on the player's contribution to the team and the Chinese Super League. Paulinho's glory in helping his team win the AFC Champions League alone has left Oscar in the dust.
Oscar has played in Hong Kong for 7 years, earning nearly 160 million euros, but has only brought the team 2 Chinese Super League titles, and those 2 titles were quite controversial.
Paulinho currently has several contracts with Barclays Premier League giants Corinthians. It would not be surprising if the Chinese Super League team throws an olive branch to him at this time. After all, Zheng Zhi is expected to play until he is 40 years old, while Paulinho is expected to play until he is 36 years old. Even 37 is not impossible. At this stage, it is the key period for the Chinese Super League teams to bring in foreign aid, so we will see if this possibility will come true.
