New season starts

Chinese football kicks off with minute’s silence for virus victims

The Chinese Super League (CSL) held a minute’s silence on Saturday before the season kicked off five months late because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Players bowed their heads to remember virus victims and honor medical staff as Fabio Cannavaro’s reigning champions Guangzhou Evergrande beat FA Cup winners Shanghai Shenhua 2-0.

The opening match of the badly delayed campaign was played in an empty stadium in the city of Dalian, which along with Suzhou is hosting behind-doors games for the next two months.

A smattering of security personnel and doctors wearing white coats were allowed to watch the match in the stands in recognition of their efforts against the virus. All had face masks on.

Moments before kickoff, Evergrande’s captain Paulinho, the Brazilian international midfielder, and his teammates unfurled a banner reading, “Salute to medical workers.”

Shenhua’s players wore T-shirts to honor coronavirus heroes.

Chinese international forward Wei Shihao scored both goals for Cannavaro’s side, one in each half.

The number of virus infections has dwindled markedly in China but Dalian is currently the scene of a small cluster of fresh cases, putting Chinese football officials on edge.

The Chinese Football Association and CSL are taking no risks with the new season, which was supposed to begin in February but became one of the earliest sporting victims of the health crisis.

The 16 CSL teams have been divided into two groups, in Suzhou and Dalian, and players must spend the first two months living in sealed-off hotels.

The likes of Brazilians Paulinho, Oscar and Hulk, and former Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini, will see only their hotel, training pitches and stadiums.

They are not allowed to meet their families and will be tested for coronavirus once a week.

The 32-year-old Belgian Fellaini is the only known coronavirus case in the CSL and spent three weeks in hospital before his release in April. He was not seriously ill.

Domestic sport is slowly resuming in China, with the Chinese Basketball Association league set to welcome fans back into matches from Sunday.

However, the government has ruled out staging most international competitions this year to stop the spread of coronavirus.

On Friday, all top-level tennis tournaments penciled in for 2020 in China were cancelled, including the WTA Finals and Shanghai Masters.

Wuhan march to win

Wuhan Zall, the team from ­Wuhan where the virus first emerged in the country, were given a guard of honor on the way to victory and medical staff from the city were applauded.

The team defeated newly promoted Qingdao Huanghai 2-0 in an empty stadium in Suzhou.

Qingdao’s players and captains from other teams playing in Suzhou lined up and applauded as the Zall squad came onto the pitch.

Zall, wearing their orange and white home kit, held a large banner thanking the Chinese people and honoring anti-epidemic heroes.

On a large screen, white writing against a black background said, “Deeply mourn the martyrs and compatriots sacrificed during COVID-19.”

Players and coaching staff of both teams, along with a smattering of others in the stands, then turned to clap a group of white-coated doctors and nurses from Wuhan.

Zall had a troubled preseason after the central city of 11 million people was placed under a lockdown in January that would drag on for 10 weeks.

During that time Spanish coach Jose Gonzalez’s men were stranded in Spain, then quarantined in South China and only returned to Wuhan in April after 104 days on the road.

An own goal by defender Yaki Yen and Liu Yun in the second half gave them victory, sparking celebrations from Zall fans featured on a big screen who were watching remotely.

“We worked for seven months with one objective, which was that our fans and the city of Wuhan enjoy a victory of their club, at least in the first game,” said Gonzalez afterward. “It was a responsibility and my players were conscious that today they had to give a victory, a triumph to our city and our fans,” added the Spaniard, who was appointed in January.

“Today the problems we had were probably forgotten for 90 minutes.”

Guangzhou Evergrande’s Wei Shihao (No.7) scores against Shanghai Shenhua on Saturday in Dalian, Northeast China’s Liaoning Province. Photo: IC

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