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Jonathan White

Champions Shanghai SIPG meet Chinese FA Cup winners Beijing Guoan at Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre on Saturday night for the Chinese Super Cup.
The game is the curtain raiser for the 2019 Chinese Super League season which kicks off next Friday and for the first time since the Super Cup restarted in 2012 there is no Guangzhou Evergrande.
Shanghai SIPG have never played a Super Cup final while Beijing Guoan lifted the trophy in both of their previous appearances – in 1997 and 2003.












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Começando 2019 ⚽️ #Oscar #O8 #football
A post shared by Oscar Emboaba (@oscar_emboaba) on Feb 22, 2019 at 5:55pm PST



Vitor Pereira remains in charge of the champions and he can call on Brazilian trio Hulk, Oscar and Elkeson as well as Odil Ahmedov.
Pre-season saw them lose 4-3 to Wigan Athletic in Spain
The biggest news though was that SIPG have lost star man Wu Lei in the off season, with last season’s golden boot winner joining Spanish La Liga side Espanyol last month.
He has not been replaced. In fact, Shanghai SIPG have not added to their squad for the second season running.
That’s not been the case in the capital.
South Korean defender Kim Min-jae, known as “Monster” has joined from K-League side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. He chose the Chinese Super League over English Premier League side Watford.
Chinese Super League clubs outspending MLS, AFL, J. League and SPL but money not buying success ahead of salary cap


More surprising still is the arrival of two other foreigners.
John Hou Saeter, or Hou Yongyong, became the first foreign footballer to gain Chinese citizenship. The Norwegian has been handed the number 7 shirt for the cup winners.
Former Arsenal youth teamer Nico Yennaris has also joined the club. The Londoner arrives from Championship side Brentford and has also taken Chinese citizenship.
Both Hou and Li Ke, as Yennaris is known in Chinese, have ancestry on their mother’s side.
Neither of the newly naturalised players are eligible to play for the club in the AFC Champions League just yet, though. They were left off Beijing Guoan’s squad list because they have not been cleared by Fifa to change nationality.
Beijing Guoan announced on Friday that Saeter has been registered with the Chinese Football Association for domestic competition, with the club choosing him over Yennaris because he counts as an under-23 player.
It remains unclear whether Yennaris will have to wait until the summer transfer window to be registered.
Possibility of naturalised players in the Chinese Super League puts a different complexion on football’s future

I’m delighted to announce I’ve signed for Beijing Sinobo Guoan FC as a Chinese citizen. It’s an exciting opportunity for me to play in the birth country of my mother and grandparents. Lastly, big thanks to @AreteLtd for helping make all this happen pic.twitter.com/boLWtSfWUv
— Nico Yennaris (@Nico_Yennaris) 31 January 2019

Guoan have also kept hold of Cedric Bakambu, who netted 23 times in 28 games last season, Brazilian midfielder Renato Augusto and Spanish schemer Jonathan Viera.
Manager Roger Schmidt might soon also have Zhang Yuning to call on. The striker has jetted in to join the club and is set to sign shortly. The 22-year-old has had a tough couple of seasons since he signed for English club West Bromwich Albion.
Zhang was immediately sent on loan to German Bundesliga side Werder Bremen but did not play a single minute for the side.
This season he was loaned to ADO Den Haag in the Dutch Eredivisie, the league where he originally made his name with Vitesse Arnhem.
The Dutch side, as West Brom, are owned by a Chinese company but they did not see the best of Zhang.
With nothing to play for China’s Zhang Yuning still can’t get a game at Werder Bremen

OFFICIAL | Jeonbuk Hyundai defender Kim Min-jae has moved to Beijing Guoan for $6m. #kleague pic.twitter.com/RuAwIq2ems
— Korea Football News (@KORFootballNews) 29 January 2019

Injury picked up at the Asian Games last August delayed his debut until late November. Before having his loan cancelled on Friday, Zhang played a total of six Eredivisie matches for ADO, all as a substitute, and failed to score.
He leaves Chinese-owned West Brom having never played for them, because he was ineligible for a work permit. The move also stood out as the XX 6 million transfer fee and Zhang’s wages were paid by owner Guochan Lai.
The first silverware of the season is also an early opportunity to gauge whether or not Guoan can be considered among the favourites to win the CSL title.
The club had been widely reported to be interested in signing Mousa Dembele before he joined Guangzhou R&F.
Kick off in Suzhou is 7.35pm.
China’s Zhang Yuning plays first club game in 580 days as he looks to get career back on track with Ado Den Haag in Eredivisie


Hong Kong striker Orr linked with Shanghai Port, city teammate Yue signs for Beijing Guoan

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Fans in China voice anger as club play hours after striker Boupendza’s death

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Chinese Super League

Zhang Yuning to join Beijing Guoan as they face Shanghai SIPG  in Super Cup on eve of 2019 Chinese Super League season

Zhang Yuning in action for Hangzhou Greentown in 2017. Photo: Xinhua，獲得冠軍。 新華社記者鞠煥宗攝

China star Zhang Yuning has what it takes to light up the Premier League, says West Brom boss Tony Pulis

China’s Zhang Yuning is on loan to Werder Bremen after signing with West Brom. Photo: AFP

West Bromwich Albion captain Jonny Evans(Left) and manager Tony Pulis attend Pre-Match Press Conferences for Premier League Asia Trophy at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Wan Chai. 18JUL17 SCMP / Xiaomei Chen

Zhang Yuning

Is Chinese player Zhang Yuning’s move to English Premier League side West Brom more about property development than football?

Zhang Yuning in the Werder Bremen dressing room. The Chinese youngster signed for West Bromwich Albion then immediately moved to the German team on loan. Photo: Werder Bremen / Werder.de

Sport

China

Naturalised player John Hou Saeter expected to make debut for Chinese FA Cup winners in Suzhou
West Brom striker in China to seal move home after loan spells at Werder Bremen and ADO Den Haag


Naturalised player John Hou Saeter expected to make debut for Chinese FA Cup winners in Suzhou


Chinese Football Association (CFA)

Zhang Yuning to join Beijing Guoan as they face Shanghai SIPG in Super Cup on eve of 2019 Chinese Super League season

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Naturalised player John Hou Saeter expected to make debut for Chinese FA Cup winners in Suzhou West Brom striker in China to seal move home after loan spells at Werder Bremen and ADO Den Haag

Naturalised player John Hou Saeter expected to make debut for Chinese FA Cup winners in Suzhou

West Brom striker in China to seal move home after loan spells at Werder Bremen and ADO Den Haag