On June 5, Shandong Taishan started a warm-up match in Jinan against Wuhan coached by Li Xiaopeng. Despite the absence of nine starters, the two sides shook hands with a score of 1-1. Young midfielder Zhang Yuanshu scored a crucial goal for Taishan.
In the warm-up match, Taishan sent foreigners Fellaini and Leonardo to start, and Fellaini's contract extension with the team was announced immediately. It is reported that Fellaini's new contract will expire on December 31, 2025, which may be the last working contract of his career.
The Chinese Super League break may be extended due to the change of plans for the National Football League's World Qualifying Tournament. Taishan team is having normal training at the base to prepare for the next stage of the competition. Due to the call-up of the national team, Taishan's squad is not complete. Players such as Sun Junhao and Artemis Junmin have gone to the United Arab Emirates to prepare for the World Qualifier.
Against this backdrop, Taishan organized two warm-up matches to examine the status of their replacements. the first warm-up match on June 5, Taishan started with goalkeeper Han Rongze, with Shi Ke and Song Long in the backline, and Wang Tong at right back after returning from injury. In the midfield, Xu Xin and Qi Tianyu partner back, Duan Liuyu and Zhang Qi as a side forward, Fellaini as a front, Leonardo as a striker.
For Wuhan, internationals Tomorrow and Dong Chunyu were absent and Fang Hao was selected for the U22 national soccer team. Neither team scored in the first half, and in the second half Taishan brought in more young players, with Duan Liuyu also captaining the team. In the end, Zhang Yuanshu seized the opportunity to score the winning goal and Wuhan equalized in the final moments of the game.
Fellaini's contract extension with Taishan will see him play for the team until December 31, 2025, according to the team. If Fellaini plays for Taishan until 2025, he will be 38 years old and may choose to retire when his contract expires. The four-year contract is likely to be the last working contract of Fellaini's career.
In addition to Fellaini, a number of key Taishan players have had their contracts changed. Goalkeeper Han Rongze's new contract will expire in December 2024, while Duan Liuyu's and Guo Tianyu's contracts expire in May and November 2025 respectively. In addition, a number of new players signed by Taishan have also signed long contracts, with Xu Xin signing a 5-year deal and Ji Xiang signing a 4-year deal.
For Taishan team, player reserve has not been a problem. At this stage, Taishan also has a number of young players on loan, such as Chen Pu and Fang Hao. In addition, Liu Chaoyang, Ji Shengpan, Tian Yuda and other young players are also working out in the Central League, the renewal of the formation is a process, and Taishan team should also be prepared.
