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China Super League

CORONAVIRUS: TEAMS IN CHINA’S TOP FOOTBALL LEAGUE RETURN TO TRAINING

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BY DANIEL ETCHELLS

Teams in the highest tier of professional football in China have resumed training this week as the coronavirus outbreak in the country eases.

As reported by Reuters, Chinese Super League (CSL) clubs began returning to training on Monday (March 23), just over two months after the league’s originally scheduled start date of February 22.

It is not yet known when the new season will be able to begin, however.

The middle of April was previously touted as a potential date for the CSL’s return, but that may be pushed back after it was confirmed earlier this week that Belgium’s Marouane Fellaini, who plays for Shandong Luneng Taishan, has tested positive for coronavirus.

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Fellaini is reportedly the only CSL player to have contracted the illness.

“We trained at a modest level, mainly focusing on strength and conditioning,” Shanghai SIPG defender Yu Hai told Shanghai TVafter his club’s opening session on Monday.

“It’s the first day that we are back to training, and the intensity will be gradually increased for sure.”

He added: “We are professional players, we should be able to overcome whatever obstacles lie in front of us.

“I believe with effort from everyone at the club we can stick together and overcome this difficult period together.”

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The coronavirus outbreak appears to be under control in China, with less than 5,000 patients still undergoing treatment and new cases confirmed only among people returning from overseas.

Officials recently said the lockdown in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the outbreak started, will be partially lifted on April 8.

Travel restrictions in the rest of Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, were lifted from midnight on Tuesday (March 24), for residents who are healthy.

Elsewhere in Asian football, Japan’s J-League is set to restart on May 9, having first been postponed on February 25 and then again on Tuesday.

This is despite the announcement earlier this week that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have been postponed until next year.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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China Super League

China bans players with tattoos

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China’s Zhang Linpeng in action. Soccer Football – World Cup – Asian Qualifiers – Group B – China v Oman – Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates – November 11, 2021; REUTERS/Satish Kumar

Chinese authorities have banned footballers from getting tattoos and instructed national team players who have been inked to remove or cover them up to set a “good example for society”.

A growing number of high-profile Chinese players have been sporting tattoos, including international defender Zhang Linpeng, who has previously been told to cover up while appearing for both the national team and club side Guangzhou FC.

The General Administration of Sport of China (GAS) said in a statement headed, “Suggestions for strengthening the management of football players” that the Chinese Football Association would set out disciplinary requirements for national team players.

“National teams at all levels will strictly implement the relevant requirements of the management measures … (and) fully demonstrate the positive spirit of Chinese football players and set a good example for society,” it said.

It also said that for teams at Under 20 level and below the recruitment of players with tattoos was “strictly prohibited”.

The GAS added that national teams should organise “ideological and political education activities” that would “strengthen the patriotic education” of players.

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Doing so would “enhance the sense of mission, responsibility and honour, and create a national team capable of conquering and fighting well and with excellent style of play”, it added.

China’s national team have failed to qualify for the World Cup finals since making their debut appearance in 2002 and look set to miss out on Qatar 2022.

-Reuters

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China Super League

ODION IGHALO’S MANCHESTER UNITED DAYS GETTING OVER

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Former Super Eagles’ hit man, Odion Ighalo is having his last days at his dream club, Manchester United as the extension granted by his Chinese club side, Shanghai Shenhua is nearing an end.

The extension lapses in January 2021. Even though Ighalo made instant impact when he initially joined the North England side, his influence has waned considerably to the extent that he had just nine minute of action in the current season of the Premier League.

Attention of Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is more on how to maximize the signing of Uruguayan striker, Edinson Cavani.

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China Super League

OBAFEMI MARTINS PASSES CORONAVIRUS TEST IN CHINA

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Former Super Eagles’ hitman, Obafemi Martins who at his peak was nicknamed ‘Obagoal’ is among players in the Chinese Super League who passed the Covid-19 test.

The reports have it that all players in the country where coronavirus originated last December have tested negative for COVID-19 as the season prepares to kick off on Saturday.

The campaign will begin after a five-month delay from the scheduled start, state news agency Xinhua reported.

A total of 1,870 individuals from the tournament’s two hubs – Suzhou near Shanghai and Dalian in the northeast of China – have undergone medical checks.

None of them tested positive for the disease that has caused havoc around the world, the report said.

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Players and officials from the 16 participating teams will be confined to their hotel and parts of the stadiums and tests will be conducted once a week during the tournament, it added.

The CSL was originally scheduled to start on February 22 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teams will play a round robin with the top four qualifying for an eight-team ‘championship’ stage and the bottom four from each group going into a ‘relegation’ phase.

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