Where did the Brazilian national team player go and what is his new team like? "Sports Day by Day" talks about the Chinese championship.
Scolari, Ericsson, Magat!
We can say that the Hulk falls into familiar tournament conditions. There are sixteen teams in the local Super League, as well as in the Premier League. The top three at the end of the season get into the Asian Champions League, in addition, the winner of the Cup of the country gets the opportunity to play in it. The two weakest teams are relegated to the Chinese FNL - League 1. If the Russian championship was still held according to the "spring - autumn" system, then the similarity would be even stronger. Now in China, the high season, completed the first round.
The main football league of the Celestial Empire also has a limit on foreign players. In the application of each club there can be no more than five foreign players, and one foreign player must represent Asia. At the same time, only four foreigners are allowed on the field, so the fifth is forced to start the match on the bench.
Hulk was given a four-year contract with a salary of twenty million euros a year, that is, three times more than the Brazilian earned in St. Petersburg. Naturally, the former Zenit member is far from the first to be offered crazy conditions in the most populated country in the world. There is a lot of money in Chinese football right now, Super League clubs are making super-expensive transfers, and players and coaches are being offered salaries that everyone else will envy.
The strongest team in China at the moment is Guangzhou Evergrande, who have won the last five national championships. In addition to it, after the formation of the Super League in 2004, Shandong Luneng (three titles), Peinjing Guoan, Changchun Yatai, as well as a couple of other clubs that are no longer in the elite, became the owners of gold medals. In addition, Guangzhou Evergrande won the Asian Champions League twice, in 2013 and 2015. In the first case, under the guidance of the famous Italian Marcelo Lippi, and last season, under the guidance of the no less famous Brazilian Luis Felipe Scolari.
Today, such specialists as Scolari, Swede Sven-Yeran Eriksson (Hulk's coach at Shanghai SIPG), Spaniard Gregorio Manzano (Shanghai Shenhua), Serb Dragan Stojkovic (Guangzhou Fuli) work in the Chinese Super League. In June, the former coach of the Brazilian national team Mano Menezes was replaced at Shandong Luneng by the legendary German Felix Magath. In addition, during the championship, Alberto Zaccheroni was fired from Beinjing Guoan, and Dan Petrescu unexpectedly broke his contract with Jiangsu Suning a month ago and returned to Kuban. While the Italian and the Romanian are being replaced by local "temporaries".
Martinez, Lavessi, Ba!
Among the legionnaires, too, there are enough familiar names. For example, the new Hulk team includes former Udinese and Sunderland striker, Ghana national team player Asamoah Gyan. Argentine Dario Conca, who has never played in Europe, is also there, who became famous for the fact that in 2011 Guangzhou Evergrande made him the highest paid football player in the world with a salary of fifteen million euros a year.
Jackson Martinez (Porto, Atlético, Colombia national team), Paulinho (Tottenham, Brazil national team) are playing in Guangzhou Evergrande itself today. In Hebei China Fortune - Ezequiel Lavessi (Napoli, PSG, Argentina national team), midfielder Stefan Mbia (Seville, Cameroon national team), Gervinho (Arsenal, Roma, Cote d'Ivoire national team), Gael Kakuta (Chelsea) In Jiangsu Suning - midfielder Ramirez (Chelsea, Brazil national team), Jo (CSKA), Alex Teixeira (Shakhtar). In Shanghai Shenhua - Demba Ba (Chelsea, Senegal national team), Freddy Guarin (Inter, Colombia national team), Obafemi Martins (Rubin, Inter, Wolfsburg, Nigeria national team). In Beinjing Guoan - Renato Augusto (Bayer, Brazil national team), Burak Yilmaz (Galatasaray, Turkish national team). In "Guangzhou Fuli" - Eran Zahavi ("Palermo", Israel national team). In Shijiazhuang Yongchang - Matheus (Dnepr, Braga), Ruben Mikael (Porto, Portugal national team). In Changchun Yatai - Marcelo Moreno (Shakhtar, Werder Bremen, Bolivian national team). In Hangzhou Greentown - Tim Cahill (Everton, Australia). In "Shandong Luneng" - Zhusiley, Diego Tardelli (both - "Anji", Brazil national team).
In general, big names are more than enough. True, not all of them justify expectations and investments. For example, dear newcomers Alex Teixeira and Zhervinho have not yet scored so many points in the “goal plus pass” system, and Martinez, Lavezzi and Yilmaz have missed part of the championship due to injuries. But Ba scored fourteen goals in sixteen matches and confidently tops the list of league scorers, proving that he did not come to China to play the fool. But the best assistant at the moment, oddly enough, is a Chinese - a thirty-year-old midfielder of Guangzhou Evergrande and the national team Gao Lin, who has already given seven assists. At the same time, the average salary of local players, as they say, is not gigantic - about twenty thousand euros per month. Although they cost unreasonably high due to the limit on foreign players, transfers involving local players are surprising in amounts no less than transfers of foreign top masters. .
Chinese businessmen and major corporations are investing huge amounts of money in the Super League and League 1. What makes them do it? Of course, at the moment there can be no talk of real income. Basically, this is an attempt to please the authorities, because football in the country is under serious control from the top. The leaders of the state dream of one day seeing their team first at the World Cup. Friendship with the powers that be is a necessary condition for a successful business in China. In addition, this is an investment in a market with incredible potential due to the size of the population of the Middle Kingdom. To involve millions and millions of people in football is the goal for the future.
So far, the attendance is not as high as it could be, given the capacity of the stadiums and the size of the audience. So, in 2015, it averaged 22,193 viewers. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, in recent seasons, Chinese clubs have often moved from place to place and changed their names. In addition, not so long ago, local football was shaken by corruption scandals, naturally, many fans were disappointed in what was happening after that. However, now in China they are doing everything possible to make the Super League look clean and attractive. Finally, the national team rarely pleases in the international arena, which would be an additional incentive for fans. Maybe he will get to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Her group includes Iran, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Qatar and Syria. In September, the start of qualification: you need to get into the top two or through the “junctions” from third place.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic turned down an offer from the Chinese authorities to play in the Super League this summer, receiving a contract with a fantastic salary of more than a million euros a week. Chose MU. But the Hulk could not refuse a solid offer from Shanghai SIPG. The ex-Zenit player must help the team get into the top three and compete for victory in the Asian Champions League. Shanghai SIPG has already reached the quarter-finals, while Guangzhou Evergrande were sensationally eliminated in the group stage. If Hulk's new team wins the Champions League, Zenit will receive another couple of million euros for his transfer.
During the time that the Brazilian football player played for Zenit St. Petersburg, he gained a lot of fans among Russian fans. Hulk is not only a talented striker, but also just a charming person who quickly joined the St. Petersburg football club and made many friends in our country.
Hulk, career
In the biography of the Hulk, football played a decisive role, and thanks to this sport, the Brazilian became famous throughout the world. Givanildo Vieira de Sousa, known throughout the football world as the Hulk, was born in Campina Grande on July 25, 1986 in a large family, and to help his parents, he began to earn extra money very early, and in his free time he chased the ball with friends.
In the photo - Hulk
This hobby captured the Hulk so much that he decided to connect his life with him. At the age of twelve, Givanildo joined the local children's team, and at sixteen he signed the first contract in his career with the Brazilian club Vitoria. As part of this team, Hulk entered the field first as a defender, then as a midfielder, and only then became an attacker.
He played his official debut match for Vitoria against Fluminense, and a year later Hulk was sold to the Japanese club Kawasaki Frontale, in which he showed his outstanding qualities and proved himself from the best side. At the age of nineteen, the Brazilian became a real star of Japanese football and managed to play in two more clubs - Tokyo Verdi and Consadole Sapporo, to which Kawasaki gave him on loan.
In the photo - Hulk's wife Iran
Later, Tokyo Verdi bought the Hulk for five billion yen.
After three years in Japan, the Brazilian footballer was contracted to Portuguese side Porto, while the club bought the rights to the Hulk only fifty percent, and the other half was from the Uruguayan Rentistas and an investment company from Argentina.
Hulk with his wife
During the four years spent at Porto, the Brazilian center forward played ninety-nine matches, scoring fifty-four goals in them and received the title of top scorer in Portugal.
He arrived in Russia in 2012, having signed a four-year contract with the St. Petersburg "Zenith", the stay in which at first was not as smooth as we would like. The football player did not like the way the coach worked, and the Hulk himself was repeatedly reproached for not being very diligent in his duties.
But all these frictions continued only during the first season of the Brazilian's stay at Zenit, and then everything changed for the better, and the Russian team became truly native for the Hulk. The football player admitted that he learned a lot while playing at Zenit, and he will never forget about life in St. Petersburg.
In the photo - the Hulk family
After the end of the contract with the St. Petersburg club, Hulk began playing in the Chinese "Shanghai SIPG". Compensation for this transition was a record for the domestic Premier League and amounted to almost sixty million euros.
Zenit earned forty-five million euros from the sale of Hulk, including two million bonus euros for his successful performance at Shanghai.
Unfortunately, the beginning of the game in the Chinese championship for the Brazilian was not very successful - in the first match he was injured, and he was taken off the field on a stretcher.
And last summer, he was suspended for two matches for supporting his former teammate, who provoked a fight in one of the championship matches.
Hulk's personal life
The Brazilian football player met his future wife during his stay in Japan. Hulk's wife Iran bore him two sons - Ian and Thiago.
In 2016, the family already had three children - the couple adopted a girl named Alicia. The football player's family follows him everywhere, and this is the best support for the Hulk.
His arrival in Russian football had the effect of an exploding bomb. 60 million euros - no other Russian club has paid so much for a player. A sea of angry comments on the Web accusing a well-known company of embezzlement people's money”, hundreds of materials on the expediency of acquiring a football player for such an amount, stories on TV, disputes in blogs.
Transfer Hulk really caused a huge stir. But few could have imagined that the arrival of the Brazilian would be the impetus that would generate a tsunami within the club itself. So, unable to contain the impulse of a heightened sense of justice, the key defensive midfielder Denisov after a while he moved to Anji, and Kerzhakov was temporarily transferred to a double. There are very tense relations between Russian players and Zenit legionnaires. No one hides the fact that then the team split into two camps, and the reason for this was the difference in the salaries of the players.
Question of the day. How to live "Zenith" without the Hulk?
Hulk may leave Zenit for the sake of the Chinese club. How will the people from St. Petersburg cope with this loss? Discuss in the "Question of the day" section.
Luciano Spalletti he tried his best to smooth out sharp corners, declaring that he had come to play football, and not to earn money. The player himself remained silent for a long time. After an unsuccessful debut in the match with Terek (0: 2), he realized that in a difficult period for the team he should take over the game.
Already in the next meeting against Krylia Sovetov, the Brazilian scored with a magnificent shot under the crossbar, bringing the blue-white-blue draw.
Six months later, he showed his temper. 10 minutes before the end of the game with Milan in the Champions League, Spalletti sent his main star to the bench, which caused an outburst of indignation from the football player. he didn’t shake hands with the coach, but under the visor of the San Siro he cursed and waved his arms so much that it seemed that he was about to turn green, and the swollen muscles would tear the Zenit T-shirt.
“I have settled in well in St. Petersburg, my family feels great in this city. But if the conflict situation with Spalletti is not resolved, I can leave Zenit in January. Am I ready to consider offers from Italy? I don't know yet. Anything is possible,” he said after that match.
“I didn't like the way he played,” Spalletti retorted. “In this situation, you should only be angry with yourself.”
This episode was one of the turning points in the Hulk's Russian career. Realizing that even in a cold, distant country, you have to give all your best to get a place at the base, he apologized to the coach, admitting he was wrong, took the bull by the horns and began to show what everyone had been waiting for from him for a long time.
He was the brightest player in the championship. He rushed around the field like a frantic, beat two or three opponents at a time, applied on goal from crazy distances. But the team was of little use to this. Spalletti never managed to integrate the newcomer into the team game. Having sacrificed the game discipline and coherence of the actions of the players of the “pre-Hulk” period, Luciano got at his disposal one bright individuality, who beat when he should have given a pass, passed when everyone was waiting for a shot on goal, hit on goal when it was worth improving the position. It was not possible to fit the Hulk into the Italian Spalletti system. Most often, the Brazilian took the ball and dragged it to someone else's goal, lost it five times, and on the sixth gave out a masterpiece and brought results.
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Managed to change the situation André Villas-Boaschou. How the Portuguese managed to adapt the Hulk to team play is a question that only he himself can answer. We will just summarize. Under Andre, Givanildo began to play more for partners, allowed Dzyube take part in the scorer race, became the best player of the championship in the "goal + pass" system, blocking the achievement Dmitry Loskov, helped Zenit reach the playoffs of the Champions League. However, the title of champions of Russia slipped away from the hands of St. Petersburg, and at the 1/8 stage, Benfica tore apart the wards of Villas-Boas, led by Hulk, who had already sharpened their skis in China.
Despite his bright game, thanks to which, in the eyes of millions of fans, he became the best Zenit player since Arshavin, and perhaps the best legionnaire in the history of the Premier League, he could not win anything really serious with the St. Petersburg team. It is unlikely that he went to Zenit for the sake of one championship and several cups. In Europe, blue-white-blue did not shine, in their native spaces they were one of the flagships, but not a trophy-winning machine.
I just played for fun. He played with his muscles in front of the stands after the goals were scored, he was sincerely indignant when the game did not go well. He argued with the judges, received optional cards, pushed his opponents aside, starred in commercials and, of course, scored. This is how we will probably remember him. An incredibly talented mood player who, despite all his regalia and status, just wanted to play football. Of course, money is not in last place for him. He could probably play in almost any top club in Europe. But I chose China.
Now the Hulk is waiting for a new period in his career. We just have to say goodbye to him and once again review the cutting of his best goals for Zenit ...
Comic book fans have long debated whether he is the most powerful character in the Marvel Universe. Let's leave this question unanswered. But one thing is for sure: Zenitovsky was the strongest legionnaire of the St. Petersburg club in the history and, of course, deserved his place of honor in the history of Zenit.
Givanildo Vieira do Sousa, known in the football world as the football player Hulk, was born in the small Brazilian town of Campina Grande on July 25, 1986. At the moment, the player plays for Zenit. Role of the football player: right and central forward.
Interview with the Hulk
There are several interesting facts about the footballer. Zhivanildu got his nickname in honor of the Incredible Hulk from the comics. He is just like a comic book hero, when he was angry, he clenched his fists and clenched his teeth. Now the Hulk is a striker, but as a child he played defense. Footballer Hulk never liked Japanese referees, but he met his wife in Japan. See here.
The footballer is tall and sturdily built, and when he enters the field he can be compared to a boxer who competes in the heavy weight category. The Hulk really looks like his namesake from the comics - a huge green monster who possessed unthinkable physical strength. His large figure helps him break through to the opponent's goal, literally pushing everyone with his broad shoulders. In Zenit, the player is a clear star, he fits perfectly into the team and looks great in the squad. Unfortunately for the fans, while playing for the Brazilian national team, at the 2014 home World Cup, he failed to do anything worthwhile and useful for the team. And if it were not for the failure of the entire team, at that championship, then a lot of negativity would have fallen on the Hulk. He has always been distinguished by his ability to receive and handle the ball, his powerful shots from afar and penalty areas were successful. But all these skills did not help, and after the fiasco at the 2014 World Cup, the player was no longer invited to play for the national team. The striker has been playing for the national team since 2009, but these have always been friendly games, and the only serious one was the Confederations Cup, which was held in 2013, and the failed World Cup itself.
The Hulk's childhood quickly ended, because besides him, his parents had 6 more children and they were all girls. Footballer Hulk started working early to help his parents feed and dress their sisters. Fortunately, the parents had a butcher shop, and the future star sold meat there. Despite a difficult childhood, the boy did not part with the dream of playing football professionally and at the age of 12 he was enrolled in a football school for children, and he began his professional career at the age of 16 at the Vitoria club. But Hulk played one match for the basis of Vitoria and already in 2005 was sold to the Japanese Kawasaki Fronatel, where Juninho and Augusto became his teammates. In total, the Hulk spent three years in Japan and changed three teams. There, he met his future wife. After playing in Japanese clubs, he was invited to the Portuguese Porto. The player played there for 5 seasons. In total, 165 matches were played for Porto and 78 goals were scored. Look at the photo Hulk in Porto
In Porto, a significant acquaintance for a football player took place. Jesualdo Ferreiro, the team's coach, formed a football player from scratch and made him the best striker in Portugal in 2010. What just was not in the career of a football player. The scandalous fight with the stewards in the game with Benfica was the reason for his disqualification for four months. Read here?
In 2012, the football player moved to St. Petersburg Zenit. The transaction amount was 60 million euros, of which Hulk got 10 million. The rest of the transfer was split between Porto and Vitoria. The debut in "Zenith" took place against "Terek", but the white-blue lost in this game with a score of 2:0. But, soon Hulk justified his multi-million dollar transfer and scored his first goal on Russian soil against Krylya Sovetov, but, unfortunately, this goal did not help Zenit win and the game was played in a draw. The transition to Zenit and moving to Russia practically minimized the chances of playing for his native team. Since his game was practically ignored by the management and coaching staff of the Brazilian national team. Look at the photo of the Hulk at the Zenith
Analysts believe that the failure of the Hulk at the World Cup in Brazil is due to its incorrect use on the playing field. The forward was not allowed to realize free kicks at all, although this is his strong point. But this is about penetrating free throws, but in defense, Hulk himself showed himself not from the best side and out of 12 martial arts he won only 3, and he did not shine in interceptions.
Today, the Hulk has been living in the cultural capital of Russia for three years. Together with him, his family also moved to St. Petersburg: his wife and two children. In the summer, there was a rumor in the football world that the comic book superhero might leave Zenit, but it turned out to be just a rumor and Hulk continues to play for the St. Petersburg club. At Zenit, he had a conflict with the coach, but it was resolved and did not interfere with his career. and Zenit forward played 89 matches in three seasons. They scored 44 goals, the statistics are not bad, he scores through the game. (Read
Givanildo Vieira do Souza was born on July 25, 1986 in the Brazilian town of Campina Grande. For football fans, he is better known as the Hulk or, in the Portuguese manner, Ulk. Since 2012, the Brazilian has been playing for Zenit St. Petersburg. Role: right and center forward.
Interesting Hulk Facts:
- in children's mini-football he was a defender;
- when angry, he clenched his fists and clenched his teeth like the Incredible Hulk from a comic book;
- could not stand the Japanese judges - he constantly cursed with them;
- before joining Porto, he suffered from "football egoism" - he did not like to give the ball away and pass;
- met his wife in Japan.
On the field, he can be compared to a tank: the Brazilian, against the background of other players, looks more like a heavyweight boxer than a football player (Zhivanilda weighs 85 kg with a height of 180 cm). Yes, and his nickname, the Hulk, makes the attacker the namesake of the comic book character - a hefty green monster of incredible strength. On the one hand, this allows him (the real Hulk, not the fictional one) to literally break through the line of defense, on the other hand, the technique suffers. Of course, among the Russian players, the Zenit striker looks great, but he didn’t show anything particularly in the Brazilian national team at the 2014 World Cup. In principle, it could have become a disappointment for the Selesao if the whole team had not disappointed their fans at the home world championship.
After the 2014 World Cup, Hulk was no longer called up to the Brazilian national team
But the Hulk has always been praised for his dribbling, excellent shots from afar, accurate passes and free kicks. One way or another, after the failure at the 2014 World Cup, the new national team coach, Dunga, stopped calling the football player to the national team.
Hulk has been playing for Brazil since 2009. Mostly it was friendly matches. Of the tournaments, he managed to participate only in the 2013 Confederations Cup and the last World Cup. He scored 9 goals for the national team and played 40 matches.
Where did the name Hulk come from? It's simple: as a child, the boy tried to imitate the same superhero. So the father began to call his son. The Hulk, by the way, was born into a family with seven children. Six of them were girls, so Hulk had to start working early to help his parents feed the family. The family had its own butcher shop in the market, and until the age of 16, the future footballer sold meat. But I thought more about football: at the age of 12, the boy entered the children's football school, and after 4 years he began his professional career at the Vitoria club.
For the main part of his first "adult" team, he played only one match. And already in 2005 he moved to the Japanese Kawasaki Fronatel, where he joined Juninho, Marcus and Augusto.
After playing in Japan until 2008 and changing three teams there, Hulk ended up in the Portuguese Porto, where he spent five seasons. Having played 165 matches, the Brazilian scored 78 goals, that is, he statistically scored in every second match.
Hulk was called to Porto after watching a video of his game. The signing of the contract took place in Japan, and the debut of the newcomer came out lumpy: in his first match for the club, the blue-and-white dragons lost to Sporting 2-0.
It was at Porto that Zalk met Jesualdo Ferreiro, who coached the team. The coach practically reshaped the young footballer. So much so that Hulk became Portugal's top scorer in 2010. True, before that he managed to fight with the Stewarts in the match with Benfica and was suspended for 4 months. Well, whatever you call a yacht, so it will float! The Brazilian footballer's favorite comic book character was also distinguished by his intemperance and tough temper.
In 2012, Halka moved to Zenit for 60 million euros. The football player got about 10 million, the rest went to Porto and Renistas (Uruguay). The last club owned 15% of the player's transfer. Another part of the money was given to Vittoria, as the team that brought up the player.
Hulk with his wife and children
Having sponsored European, Uruguayan and Brazilian football, Zenit immediately put up Portugal's top scorer against Terek. Alas, debuts are not given to the Hulk: the St. Petersburg team lost 2-0 to the team from Grozny.
Just a week later, on September 22, 2012, Hulk proved that it was not in vain that he received millions of euros from Gazprom and scored his first goal in Russia. True, that match "Zenith" - "Wings of the Soviets" ended in a draw 2:2.
Hulk's chances of getting into the Brazilian national team almost vanished when he moved to Russian football, according to many observers and experts. The Selecao coaching staff practically does not follow the Brazilians from our clubs. Here only if Zenit will stubbornly remain in the first places of the Premier League, and this will be the clear merit of the team's forward.
Now the big Hulk will begin to turn into a huge Hulk!
By the way, in the national team at the World Championships, the Hulk was “used” incorrectly, according to the same sports analysts. For example, they didn't let the striker punch a free kick, although he is strong in them. But in defense, the Brazilian himself is to blame for the bad grades: out of 12 martial arts, he won only three and did not make a single interception.
Today Hulk and his entire family (the football player has two children) live in St. Petersburg. Last summer, there were rumors about the possible departure of the Brazilian from Zenit, but so far the football “tank” has remained in the team. Prior to that, Hulk wanted to leave back in 2012, having quarreled with the then coach of the Blue-White-Blues, Luciano Spalletti, who bluntly stated that the striker was not playing well. But later Hulk apologized and admitted that he was wrong and will try to play better.
For Zenit, Hulk has already played 89 matches in three seasons. He scored 44 goals, which is again approximately 1 goal per 2 games according to statistics. As a result, for the entire career at the end of 2014, the Brazilian had 366 matches and 198 goals.