Shanghai East Asia Football Club. “I was joking with a friend: we could go out and roll out this “Shanghai” ourselves.

Belarusian Nikita Telegin went for a year-long internship in China, got acquainted with the local football and at the same time won one of the student tournaments.

About leaving for China

After graduating from school, he entered the BSU Faculty of International Relations. Specialty: Chinese language. We completed two courses, and our group was sent to China for a year to improve our language skills. It so happened that everyone went to different places. I was sent to Chongqing. To be honest, I didn’t even know such a city. This is the south of the country. We arrived, settled in, started studying... The trip cost 5,000 yuan, that is, less than a thousand dollars. Moreover, from this money we were then given a stipend every month. That is, we actually got back everything we spent. They offered to stay for another year under the same conditions. But the problem is that I took a sabbatical. And you can’t go to the “academic” program at BSU for two years in a row. Although, to be honest, I didn’t really want to go back. I liked the education system itself, I improved my Chinese skills. It seemed like I only stayed for a year, but after returning to Belarus I almost had to learn to live again.

Chongqing University holds its own football championship every year. And there were many Vietnamese living in our hostel. They offered to create a team and enter it into the tournament. Interesting guys: sometimes you had to almost drag them by the ears to training. We agreed, for example, to go study, when we arrive, someone is sleeping, someone is washing... For the first time in 25 years, the management allowed a team of foreign students to participate. Maybe later the Chinese regretted letting us in. In addition to the Vietnamese, our team included a guy from the Congo, me and another guy from Belarus named Ilya. So international.

The university in Chongqing is large, with many campuses. Each faculty put up its own team plus us - in total there were 16. In terms of organization, everything was serious. The judges are not only the main judge, but also assistants. Fans... Closer to the final, the university assigned us a coach. He runs all the football there. I wouldn't say that this coach helped us much. The coach liked the 3-4-3 formation, but we played with four defenders. As a rule, we trained ourselves - downloaded programs on the Internet, watched exercises. I played on the midfield flank. He scored three goals during the tournament.

The university has a very developed sports infrastructure. There are many basketball courts, table tennis tables, two artificial football fields. Moreover, the quality of synthetics is good. The university bought uniforms for each team. Game set plus training set. The guys from Vietnam decided that we would play in Real Madrid T-shirts. I asked: why Real Madrid? It turned out that the guys were “sinking” precisely for the Madrid team. In general, three Real Madrid played in our tournament at once - in white T-shirts, gray and last year’s. And in the final, Real played with Barcelona. There were also “Arsenal”, “Tottenham”, “Liverpool”, “Milan”, “Atlético”... And everyone had their names on their T-shirts. I originally wanted to write my Chinese name. But the partners preferred the Latin alphabet - and I did not tear myself away from the team. I didn’t write down my last name: it’s difficult for the Chinese to read. I filled in the name. Moreover, as per the passport, in Belarusian transcription - Mikita. Everything is serious there. You must come to the match only with a student ID. One day the guy came without him. It’s good that the hostel is close - I managed to get away. That wouldn't be allowed. By the way, I later took pictures in this T-shirt for the “Good T-shirt” campaign.

As a child, I practiced a little in the football arena. I played at school, in the yard. Later - for his course at the FMO championship. But he didn’t play for the faculty team. Back in Minsk, I played several matches in one of the amateur leagues - they asked me to replace a person. And here's what I'll say. In terms of organization, the level in China is higher. But in terms of football itself, the tournament was inferior to the same amateur league, the BSU championship. The Chinese seem to lack "physics". If you don't train, you'll get tired by the end of the meeting. Around the 70th minute, the boys begin to have convulsions. Plus the discipline is lame. During the matches there were almost fights. We once played a control match with the team of the entire university. One of our guys was rudely tackled by an opponent. Passions ran high, things got to the point where they stopped playing at the end of the first half.

The final was organized at the highest level. Everything is like in a real match. They themselves did not understand what was happening. We walked onto the field to the Chinese anthem and hand in hand with the kids. The stands were packed to capacity - about a thousand people came. The game itself was commented on by the presenter over the loudspeaker. The fans beat the drums and the cheerleaders danced. We even had our own mascot - a big lemon. The Chinese know how to do everything beautifully. The final turned out to be simple - we won with a score of 7:1. Moreover, this one goal against us turned out to be phantom: the ball hit two goalposts and did not cross the ribbon. To receive the trophy, just like in professional football, people went up to the stands. They gave me a cup and medals. The guy from Congo was also awarded a prize for the best player of the tournament - almost exactly like the Golden Ball. There was even a rumor that we would be given bonuses. Guys from other teams said that they were rewarded with money for victories and vice versa - they were fined for yellow cards. But we didn’t see any awards. True, the university sponsored our team’s trip to the restaurant several times to celebrate their victories. At the end of the tournament we gained popularity. The Chinese constantly asked to be photographed: they love foreigners. And once a girl even took my autograph.

Chinese President Xi Jinping loves football. A corresponding subject has even been introduced in schools. Serious money appeared in the championship. Take the same "Suning". This is a company that deals with retail. She undertook to sponsor Jiangsu and also bought Inter. In the summer there was even a rumor that Jiangsu could buy Yaya Toure and then loan him to Inter, so that the Milanese would not violate Financial Fair Play. In addition, the Chinese own Milan, Wolverhampton, and Sochaux. .. A program was announced at the state level. If a corporation takes over a team, its taxes are significantly reduced. Everyone says: the Chinese spend so much! So it’s profitable for them to spend!

Thanks to this money, more and more legionnaires are coming, the infrastructure is developing... And soon, in addition, a new television contract will be signed. The team from Chongqing is sponsored by Lifan. This is a company that is engaged in the automotive industry. One might say, a city-forming enterprise. Lifan is active in the Russian market. Although I won’t say that the automotive industry is currently on the rise in China.

I was surprised that there is a super league team in Chongqing. We wanted to go to the first round game with Guangzhou. Because in China this is the most hyped team there can be. But they realized it too late - a couple of days before the match there were no more tickets left. The Olympic Stadium, which seats 58 thousand spectators, was sold out. But we went to the second round game with Shanghai Telleis, coached by Sven-Goran Eriksson.

On the approach to the stadium there are many points of sale of paraphernalia. I was recently in Turin at the Juventus Stadium. That's how special shops work there. And in China there are traders on every corner. Plus, the Taobao service is popular - an analogue of AliExpress. You can always order the same T-shirt there. The Chinese go to the store either for branded items or for groceries. Everything else is done via the Internet. Despite the fact that there were a lot of people, the inspection took place almost instantly. This is understandable: if this whole crowd gathers in queues, it will block the entire area. They were very afraid that they would start messing around. But everything was great. Sekyiriti, like foreigners, showed us seats in the stands. The audience was diverse: children, old people, young people... By the way, there are speculators in China too. Five minutes before the match, people sell tickets in packs. Moreover, they are not dispersed. How is this possible in a communist country? This is the biggest surprise for me. The ticket, by the way, is inexpensive - about 5 dollars.

Considering the size of the population, relatively few people came to the game - a little more than half the stadium. Chongqing and its surrounding areas are home to nearly 30 million people. If we had a population of at least 10 million in Minsk, I think the stadiums would be filled. The level of play seemed low. I sat with a friend and joked: they say, they could go out and roll out this “Shanghai” themselves. The entire game is played by foreign players. When they have the ball, there is a groan in the stands. Guys on technology. Everyone wants to show off. Especially in a team like ours. By Chinese standards, it is slightly below average. Until recently, they played in the second division. There are also very good players among the Chinese. But there are not many of them.

Shanghai- financial and cultural center of China. One of the world's largest seaports is located here. The city is officially home to more than 24 million people, making it the most populous city in the world. Despite the fact that Shanghai is an industrial center, it is also considered a city of culture, fashion, and Shanghai is considered the center of the Chinese intelligentsia. It is no coincidence that this metropolis was given the nickname “Eastern Paris”.

List of universities in Shanghai

Why choose Shanghai universities?

• Shanghai is called the "city of a hundred skyscrapers." At the same time, modern architecture in Shanghai coexists with historical buildings. The appearance of Shanghai is distinguished by its unique style; Shanghai has many green areas and parks. Shanghai is a stylish city, which is why many international students love it.
• Despite its dense population, Shanghai is known for its low crime rate.
• Shanghai Library, built in the shape of a giant lighthouse, is considered the tallest library building in the world. It has 24 floors and 1.7 million storage units. The library is available to students.
• Students will have no difficulty getting to any area of ​​the city: Shanghai has the longest metro network in the world, 420 km. These are a dozen lines and three hundred stations. It is noteworthy that the Shanghai metro was built in just 15 years. Shanghai is also famous for the quality of its roads; the road infrastructure is developed here. Maglevs - magnetic levitation trains - are also common in Shanghai.
• Shanghai is a very hospitable and international city. There are many restaurants serving various world cuisines and youth entertainment. Shanghai is known for its vibrant nightlife, so students won't get bored in the big city. Hengshanlu Bar Street is one of the most popular places among students and tourists.
• The Shanghai dialect is different from the official Beijing dialect, also known as Mandarin. But those who know Shanghaihua are highly valued in the labor market. Both dialects are available for study at language schools in Shanghai. Both Beijing and Shanghai dialects are understood in the city.
• Many international students choose Shanghai because of its favorable weather: it has a subtropical monsoon climate, warm and humid.
• Shanghai universities also offer English-language study programs; foreign students can learn two languages ​​at the same time.

• Shanghai World Financial Center is one of the tallest buildings in the world. Its height is 492 meters. People call it a “bottle opener” because of its original shape.
• There is a marriage market in Shanghai. Here city residents look for brides and grooms.
• Near Shanghai there is an amazing water town called Zhujiajiao. For its beauty and sophistication it is compared to Venice.

The Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua, whose composition will be discussed in this article, is not a leader in its championship. In this country there is another club from this city, which is much stronger and more promising. However, one should not write off Shanghai Shenhua either. This team includes both interesting Chinese football players and famous foreign players.

Goalkeepers

So, what is the composition of the Shanghai Shenhua club? Naturally, we should start with the goalkeepers, but there is nothing outstanding here. The main goalkeeper is the experienced 34-year-old Li Shuai, who is replaced by 31-year-old Qiu Shengjun. However, goalkeepers are not all that the Shanghai Shenhua club has. The squad also includes field players.

Protection

The club's defensive line consists exclusively of Chinese players, which makes Shanghai Shenhua stand out from other clubs. The composition of the team of any of the championship leaders already consists of at least a third of foreign players, while this team is based on Chinese players. The only exception is Kim Ki-hee, a 27-year-old Korean who is a pillar of the defense. Most often, he is paired with Li Jianbin in the center of defense, and on the flanks of defense you can usually see Chinese players such as Bai Jiaqun and Zhang Lu.

Midfield

As for the midline of Shanghai Shenhua FC, the composition is more diverse. For example, in the central zone there is always the Colombian Fredy Guarin, who is known for his performances in the Portuguese Porto and the Italian Inter. The defensive-minded Chinese Wang Shouting most often plays alongside him. As for the flanks, they are usually shared by Cao Yunding and another legionnaire, Colombian Giovanni Moreno.

Unlike Guarin, Moreno did not shine in European football, but moved to China directly from South America. Moreover, he did this quite a long time ago - in 2012. That is why he is now the captain of the team.

Attack

And of course, we can’t help but mention the attack of this club. After all, this particular zone is the strongest, since two fairly famous foreign players play here. At the forefront is the Nigerian Obafemi Martins, who gained fame back in 2002 when he played for Inter. Then he managed to play in the English Newcastle, the German Wolfsburg and even the Russian Rubin, thanks to which this striker is well known to Russian-speaking fans. He also played in Spain and the United States before moving to China in the winter of 2016.

A little lower in the attack is the legendary Argentinean, who at one time was one of the strongest players in European football. He played for Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus. In 2015, he returned to his homeland to finish his career, but in the winter of 2017 he received an offer that he could not refuse and moved to Shanghai Shenhua.

Naturally, these are not all the players of this club. However, its strongest representatives were listed above, who appear on the field more often than others and can seriously affect the final result. Perhaps Tevez's move will allow the club to rise a little higher.