SIPG boss sets out 2019 tasks, rules out replacement signing for Wu

SHINE

The top official of Shanghai SIPG has said that the AFC Champions League and the defense of the Chinese Super League title will be the team’s two major tasks in the 2019 season though the club is not planning to introduce new players following striker Wu Lei’s departure.

“This year we have priorities among the three battle fronts, and our major focus will be the AFC Champions League and the CSL,” club president Chen Xuyuan said at SIPG’s preseason mobilization ceremony on Wednesday. The ceremony was attended by all players, coaches and Shanghai Football Association officials.

SIPG won its maiden CSL title last year — in the sixth year of its top-tier league stay, but failed to make the quarterfinals of the elite Asian league. While other major rivals, including Guangzhou Evergrande, Beijing Guo’an and Shanghai Greenland Shenhua, were busy with unveiling newcomers this month, the CSL defending champion has stayed quiet despite the departure of its last-season top scorer Wu, who is still looking for his first goal for Spanish La Liga side Espanyol

“I know some of our fans may be disappointed that we didn’t sign any new players,” said Chen. “But we should also see that our U23 and U19 teams are doing well, and the young players need more chances to burnish their skills. So instead of buying new players, why don’t we give more opportunity to our own young players. I believe our coaching team can make good use of what we have.”

“In the 2019 CSL, it will no longer be one team holding a dominant advantage. Our opponents are getting stronger, so the competition for the championship will be even more difficult,” added Chen.

Manager Vitor Pereira and captain Hulk also spoke at the ceremony to express the team’s determination ahead of the new season.

“It was actually a difficult season last year as we were eliminated from the AFC Champions League and the CFA Cup, so the CSL title was our only hope,” said Brazil striker Hulk. “But we held on together and eventually won the title. Just a few months later, we won another top honor in Chinese football (the CFA Super Cup), and I have all my teammates to thank for. Hope we can win an even bigger championship this year.”

SIPG takes on city rival Greenland Shenhua in their CSL opener at the latter's Hongkou Football Stadium on Friday. Shenhua, incidentally, announced another new signing on Tuesday — naturalized player Alexander N’Doumbou, who goes by the Chinese name of Qian Jiegei.

The 27-year-old midfielder has a Chinese mother and Gabonese father. He started his career in Gabon but headed to France at the age of 12. He was captain of Ligue 1 Marseille's U17 team and won the U17 league title in the 2008-09 season. He was selected to the Olympic and national teams of Gabon, and also has playing experience in Belgium and Bulgaria.

Talking about the possibility for SIPG signing naturalized players, Chen said China's footballl should depend more on its own players rather than “taking too much of a short-cut”.

“Personally I’m not very fond of the idea of buying too many naturalized players. But if a player is of Chinese descent, he can still be developed.”