The Chinese national football team has just concluded their winter training in Haikou, and everyone was hoping for some fresh momentum. However, they were met with a devastating piece of news - Serginho and Little Oscar are unlikely to be able to participate in the World Cup qualifiers in March. This is not because they are unable to play, but because the naturalization procedures have not been completed in time. With less than a month left, if the procedures are not finalized, they will only be able to play in the Chinese Super League (CSL) as foreign players, and will not be able to wear the national team's jersey. Time has become the biggest enemy, and on February 18th, when the winter transfer window for the CSL closes, whether Serginho and Little Oscar can be naturalized in time becomes a matter of life or death. Otherwise, these two players will have to continue playing as foreigners and will not be able to appear on the national team's roster. The pressure on the clubs is even greater; they have spent money, but the players cannot contribute to the national team, which would be a waste. Will they continue to push for naturalization or choose to let go and wait until next year? Clubs are very shrewd in their calculations; when naturalization does not go smoothly, no one wants to be the scapegoat. However, the issue of naturalizing players is not only about the losses of the clubs but also directly affects the future of the national team. These two players are…

As the calendar turns to March, the eyes of football fans around the world are gradually focusing on the World Cup qualifiers across various continents. Among them, the New Year's battle between the Chinese team and Saudi Arabia has undoubtedly become a major highlight in the Asian region. The match scheduled for March 20 is not only crucial for both teams' World Cup dreams but also carries the expectations and hopes of countless Chinese fans. However, a series of uncertainties before the game have made the outcome unpredictable. Wu Lei, the top scorer for the Chinese men's football team, has always been under close attention. However, according to the latest news, Wu Lei may be unable to play due to injury. This is undoubtedly a heavy blow for the Chinese team in desperate need of goals. Wu Lei's absence means that the team's options in the front line will be even more limited. How to make up for this loss will be a major challenge for the head coach. In addition to Wu Lei's injury, the progress of naturalized players has also cast a shadow over the Chinese team's prospects. The naturalization procedures for Xiao Oscar and Serginho have yet to make substantial progress, which means they are unlikely to catch up with the key battle against Saudi Arabia. If these two players were on the field, they would undoubtedly add more creativity and attacking power to the Chinese team's midfield and frontcourt, but reality is disappointing. Facing the strong Saudi team, the Chinese team needs to muster all their…

Recently, China's national football team concluded their first training camp of the year in Haikou. The training was led by the Ivan coaching team, known for its high intensity, and although many players found it arduous, they generally believed that such high-quality training laid a solid foundation for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. However, just as the training ended, the national team suffered a major blow. On the eve of the Spring Festival, the national team announced a temporary disbandment to welcome the new year. But at the same time, a shocking message arrived: The naturalization path of the national team faced an unprecedented challenge. It is well-known that if the national team wants to advance to the 2026 World Cup, they must enhance their strength. While direct competitors like the Indonesian team and the Australian team are reinforcing themselves, it is difficult to achieve substantial improvements through current squad training alone. The fastest way to enhance strength is to continue naturalizing powerful foreign aid. But an unfavorable message has already appeared. The non-bloodline naturalization plan that the Football Association previously invested heavily in has suffered a severe setback. Four naturalized players, Elkeson, Alan, Fernandinho, and Li Ke, have announced that they will collectively withdraw from the Chinese national team and will not accept future call-ups. This news dealt a heavy blow to the morale and strength of the national team, adding many uncertainties to the upcoming Asian 18-team qualifiers. If the decline in form due to aging can be understood for Elkeson and Alan, the withdrawal of Fernandinho and…

After Elkeson's departure, Chengdu Rongcheng has been left with an empty slot for naturalized players, which is expected to be filled in the new season. Recent reports suggest that Delgado will be loaned to Chengdu Rongcheng, but is he worth the anticipation? Delgado joined Shandong Taishan in 2018, embarking on his journey in the Chinese Super League (CSL), and successfully gained Chinese citizenship the following year. However, his career in China has been fraught with twists and turns, falling short of expectations. At Shandong Taishan, he never received significant attention and was loaned out several times. Once loaned to the Portuguese league, he played a minor role, making only four appearances without any notable achievements, returning to Shandong Taishan with just a yellow card. Later, he was twice loaned to teams in the China League One but failed to secure a place in the starting lineup. Despite this, Delgado is a player with distinct characteristics. Hailing from Portuguese youth training, he possesses good technical skills and spent a considerable amount of time in the Inter Milan youth ranks. However, judging from his performance in China, he struggled to integrate into the team, exhibiting traits similar to Mario Balotelli, occasionally appearing to "ponder life," and giving off an impression of laziness on the field. Perhaps it is these personality factors that have made it difficult for him to gain sufficient recognition and favor. In reality, if we objectively analyze the data, his efficiency is quite commendable. For instance, in the 2021 season, he played a total of 18 games for Shandong…

In a friendly match between Guoan and Yatai, the outstanding performance of new signing Serginho has drawn widespread attention from fans. This player, who is about to complete his naturalization process, not only demonstrated excellent offensive and defensive capabilities in the game but also provided Chinese football with hope for solving the long-standing problem at the holding midfielder position! In this match against his former club Yatai, Serginho's performance can be described as perfect. He showcased his strong organizational skills and defensive awareness on the field, effectively stifling the opponent's attacks while quickly organizing counterattacks. Such an all-round holding midfielder is exactly what the national team urgently needs at present. It is worth noting that Serginho's naturalization process has entered its final stage. According to the current progress, he is likely to represent the national team in the crucial match against Saudi Arabia in March this year. This news is undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the national team coach Ivanković. Looking back, the national team has always had a weakness at the single holding midfielder position. Coach Ivanković has tried out several players, but the results have been unsatisfactory. Gao Tianyi, a Shanghai Shenhua player, is a typical example. After making a low-level mistake in the match against Thailand, he never got another chance to be heavily relied upon. Although Wang Shangyuan performed relatively stable in this position, his contributions in the attacking end were somewhat lacking. It is precisely against this backdrop that the arrival of Serginho becomes particularly important. After the end of last season, he…

Recently, while the national football team was training at the Hainan Guanlan Lake Football Training Base in Haikou, the Shanghai Shenhua Club was conducting group confrontation training on the No. 3 field separated by a net. The newly joined 19-year-old young player Wang Hanlong, as a forward, stood out with his performance and scored goals repeatedly. He has actually attracted the attention of many industry insiders, including members of the national football team. Last week, when the Shanghai Shenhua Club officially announced Wang Hanlong's joining, some domestic media defined this mixed-race player as a "Chinese descendant young player," and more Chinese fans called him the "mixed-race ball king." This is because Wang Hanlong had lived in Slovenia with his family for many years before. During this period, he was selected into the Slovenian national-level echelon of the 2006 age group many times and played for the Slovenian U17 team. As a result, in the past week, many Chinese fans have begun to discuss that the Chinese Football Association should start the naturalization procedures for Wang Hanlong. However, according to the report of the Beijing Youth Daily, the official media of the national football team on January 13th, Beijing time, Wang Hanlong actively chose Chinese nationality when he turned 18, which means he does not need to be naturalized and can normally represent the Chinese national team in official matches. Therefore, if Wang Hanlong's ability is strong enough, he can also become an object of investigation for the U20 national football team of the 2005 age group, and even represent the…

Yunnan Yukuang team swept a Thai second-tier league team with an 8-0 scoreline, a victory that amazed many in a friendly match. However, more discussions focused on Oscar, the newly naturalized player who scored six goals in a single game. Can the naturalization policy truly save the national football team? Is Oscar's performance "phenomenal" or just a "flash in the pan"? Can one game's highlight really ignite hope for Chinese football? These questions all seem to be open to interpretation. In this match, Oscar seemed like a completely different person, almost converting every touch into a goal threat. His scoring methods were diverse: poaching in the penalty area, long-range shots, and direct solo runs, making him seem like a low-budget version of Haaland. However, let's be honest, the opponent was only a Thai second-tier league team, with an overall strength that could be said to be several levels below even the Chinese Super League teams. In such circumstances, the true value of Oscar's six-goal highlight is questionable. In fact, Oscar's performance has not been without controversy before. In earlier years, while playing for Cangzhou Mighty Lions in the CSL, he showed some attacking ability but often faltered in key matches, wasting opportunities. This inconsistent performance led to criticism and doubts about whether he had the capability to handle higher-level competitions. Although this friendly match was undoubtedly exciting, it may be too early to say that he has become the pillar of the future national team. Oscar's outstanding performance overshadowed domestic player Ye Chugui, who seemed to have no presence on…

Shenhua Takes Off? Signing 3 Naturalized Players, New Season Can Field 8 Foreign Players, Now There's Hope for the Championship Hey, fellow football fans, have you heard? Shanghai Shenhua is about to soar! Just a few days ago, the Chinese Football Association announced the approved list and also declared a new rule that the number of foreign players in the Chinese Super League (CSL) cannot exceed six. At first glance, it seems like this might be unfavorable for the team, but don't forget, the rules for naturalized players haven't changed yet! Seizing this opportunity, Shenhua has signed three naturalized players and plans to embark on the new season with an extravagant "8 foreign players" lineup. Doesn't this make the hope for winning the championship even greater? On January 8, 2025, Shenhua made a big move by officially announcing the signing of two Chinese descent naturalized players, Li Ke and Wang Hanlong. Li Ke, a player familiar to seasoned fans, hails from Arsenal's youth training system and has even played for Arsenal! In 2019, he officially joined the Chinese nationality and represented the national team, delivering some impressive performances. Although his performance at Guoan last season was not up to par, Shenhua is brimming with confidence in him, even referring to him as a versatile midfielder capable of both attack and defense. Famous media personality Zhao Yu also mentioned that Li Ke, that young lad, has some issues with his state and mentality, but his abilities are unquestionable. With a new environment and opportunities at Shenhua, who knows, he might just…

The first training session of the Chinese men's national football team in 2025 has attracted significant attention as Ivan Kozlovic called up 32 national players, with the inclusion of naturalized player Hou Yongyong becoming a focal point. Hou's impressive performance in the Norwegian league has made him a strong contender for a new star in the national team, while the absence of Fernandinho due to health reasons has sparked discussions among fans. The question remains whether Ivan's approach to player selection and the integration of naturalized players can bring about a breakthrough for the national team. In this training session without any warm-up matches, the future direction of the national team has become a focus for both fans and media. The training sessions of the Chinese men's national football team always generate considerable interest, especially when naturalized players take center stage. Hou Yongyong, who shone brightly in the Norwegian league, has finally donned the national team's jersey. With 19 goals in 29 games, one cannot help but wonder if he could be the savior of the national team. Ivan's strategy of steady change has been consistent, and this training session is no exception. Thirty-two national players have gathered, with only Fernandinho absent due to health issues. There are no friendly matches scheduled, focusing instead on physical recovery, which seems to be preparing for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Ivan's plan is clear: are naturalized players the future of the national team or just a short-term quick fix? Hou Yongyong's selection is undoubtedly the highlight of this training session. As an…

"Where is the future of the national football team?" - This is a question that every Chinese fan has asked countless times. At the beginning of the new year, the training of the Chinese men's national football team started in a confusing way: many core players, including naturalized players and veterans, have applied to leave the team one after another. Is this unexpected or reasonable? Is it a crisis or a hint of some opportunity? For the newly appointed head coach of the national football team, Ivan Kozlovic, the start of 2023 was not easy. One after another application for withdrawal from the team came like a "warning shot," catching the new commander off guard. From naturalized players to veterans, and even the captain of the national football team, Wu Xi, everyone had different reasons, but they all pointed to a common point: they wanted to "quit." Let's take a look at the naturalized players first. Fernandinho did not succeed in renewing his contract with the club and openly stated that his future was uncertain, so he was not ready to participate in the training; another naturalized player, Alan, also submitted an application, citing his increasing age and unwillingness to continue. Next comes the veteran Zhang Linpeng, who simply announced his withdrawal from the team after the game, although he later changed his mind and said he would maintain his form, he was never called up again. Finally, there is the most eye-catching captain Wu Xi, who proactively stated that his abilities were insufficient and he could no longer serve…