Chinese football teams spent big on winter transfer

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For the Super League, this winter is not cold.

To prepare for the new season, big clubs went on a shopping spree to sign top players, mainly from South America.

According to the statistics released by Germany's Transfer Market, when the Chinese winter transfer window closed, the Super League spent a record 108 million euros to buy players and coaches on the 2014/2015 transfer market.

The Chinese league, which turned professional only 20 years ago, stands only second to the English Premier League in terms of the money spent on transfers, beating most of the top-flight leagues around the world.

With the boost of investments, the quality of overseas players has improved in recent seasons, which not only lifts the competitive level of the league but also helps to attract more fans to support local teams.

Among the foreign big names, Brazilian players are most popular with Chinese clubs.

Shandong Luneng striker Diego Tardelli on Thursday became the first Brazilian national team player to be called up from a Chinese club when Dunga announced his squad for friendlies against France and Chile.

The 29-year-old Tardelli, who recently switched from Atletico Mineiro to Luneng with a transfer fee of 5.5 million euros, has reunited with his former Atletico head coach Cuca at his new club.

"It's the economic landscape of globalized soccer," Dunga said during a press conference in Rio de Janeiro.

"Europe has countries that can no longer afford to buy Brazilian players, and China is investing heavily in soccer. And not just in players, they have many Brazilian coaches also."

According to the Brazilian newspaper FOLHA DE SAO PAULO, the Super League, for the first time in history, has become the league that spends most to buy players from the Brazilian league.

"We hope the quality and the competitive level of the league is going to improve. Then, more and more people will find it a delight to watch and buy tickets to the stadium," said Ma Chengquan, the director of Chinese professional leagues.

"Only by building a healthy and first-class league can Chinese soccer and the national teams improve."

Original title by Xinhua: Chinese soccer embarks on new journey

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