On October 17th, China time, Ulsan Hyundai defeated Gangwon FC 2-1 in the Korean K-League, lifting the K-League trophy again after 17 years of silence. In this exciting battle, we were surprised to find a familiar face from the Chinese Super League - Leonardo, a player who was once dropped by Shandong Taishan, played for Ulsan Hyundai in the K-League this season, contributing 11 goals and contributing to the team's success in winning the championship.
Brazilian striker Leonardo, 25, joined Japanese J3 side Tottori Flyers in 2018 before bouncing between J2 Niigata Swans and J1 Urawa Red Diamonds over the next two seasons. Last winter, he joined Shandong Taishan for a transfer fee of 630 million yen, or about 30 million yuan. However, Leonardo did not live up to expectations at Taishan and was loaned to Hebei after only eight appearances. In his first season in the Chinese Super League, he made 20 appearances and scored only two goals.
This season, Shandong Taishan brought in Cressan and Leonardo was once again discarded and had no choice but to join Ulsan Hyundai. In the league, he made 34 appearances, including 22 starts, scoring 11 goals and contributing 4 assists, becoming one of the key players in the team's championship. It was also Ulsan Hyundai's second league title after 17 years.
Leonardo is among the top ten scorers in the K-League with 11 goals and is the team's second leading scorer behind Itsuhara.
