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Agence France-Presse

Wuhan Zall were given a guard of honour on the way to victory and medical staff from the city were applauded as Chinese football made a poignant return Saturday following a long delay because of coronavirus.
The team from ground zero of the pandemic defeated Qingdao Huanghai 2-0 in an empty stadium in Suzhou, one of two cities hosting matches in a revamped Chinese Super League.
There was a minute’s silence before both of Saturday’s games as the campaign kicked off behind closed doors and five months late.
Qingdao’s players and captains from other teams playing in Suzhou, near Shanghai, 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 honouring “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 pre-season after the central city of 11 million people was placed under a harsh 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 southern 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 over newly promoted Qingdao, 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 afterwards.
“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.”
Zall were purposely chosen to play on the first day of the virus-disrupted season in recognition of the trauma the city and its team faced in recent months.
In the first match of the season, earlier Saturday in Dalian, Fabio Cannavaro’s reigning champions Guangzhou Evergrande beat FA Cup winners Shanghai Shenhua 2-0.

When players of Wuhan Zall entered the pitch before the kickoff of their CSL opening game vs Qingdao Huanghai in Suzhou, captains of other 7 teams playing in the city formed a guard of honor. In official narrative Wuhan is a heroic city and Wuhan citizens are heroic people. pic.twitter.com/eiHCBppxTl
— Titan Sports Plus (@titan_plus) July 25, 2020

Chinese international forward Wei Shihao scored both goals.
The number of virus infections has dwindled markedly in China since coronavirus was first reported, in Wuhan late last year, before spreading worldwide.
However, the northeastern port city of Dalian is currently the scene of a small cluster of fresh cases, putting Chinese football officials on edge.

More than 6 months after the Covid outbreak, Wuhan Zall defeated the newly-promoted Qingdao Huanghai 2:0 in the 1st game of the season. The 1st goal: an own goal from Yaki Yen. A promising start for Jose Gonzalez, the new coach of Wuhan who had an unsuccessful stint in Beijing. pic.twitter.com/mTrdnidVZi
— Titan Sports Plus (@titan_plus) July 25, 2020

The Chinese Football Association and Super League are taking no risks with the new season, which was supposed to begin on February 22 but became one of the first 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.

With the assist of Paulinho, the striker Wei Shihao remains unstoppable perfomance and scores CSL 2020 first goal. pic.twitter.com/5HQPSqJuyj
— Terceira Div. Chinesa (@ChinaLeagueTwo) July 25, 2020

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.


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Chinese Super League

Chinese Super League: Wuhan Zall win to cap symbolic start to virus-hit season

Players from both sides pay their respects for the medical workers fighting against Covid-19 ahead of the opening Chinese Super League match between Wuhan Zall and Qingdao Huanghai. Photo: Xinhua

(200725) -- SUZHOU, July 25, 2020 (Xinhua) -- Liu Yun (L) of Wuhan Zall celebrates with his teammate Leo Baptistao after scoring a goal during the opening match between Wuhan Zall and Qingdao Huanghai at the postponed 2020 season Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) Suzhou Division in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, July 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

(200725) -- SUZHOU, July 25, 2020 (Xinhua) -- Fans of Wuhan Zall cheer for the team via a giant screen set in the stadium ahead of the opening match between Wuhan Zall and Qingdao Huanghai at the postponed 2020 season Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) Suzhou Division in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, July 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

(200725) -- SUZHOU, July 25, 2020 (Xinhua) -- A giant screen shows fans of Qingdao Huanghai watching the live stream of the opening match between Wuhan Zall and Qingdao Huanghai at the postponed 2020 season Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) Suzhou Division in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, July 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

(200725) -- SUZHOU, July 25, 2020 (Xinhua) -- Staff members wearing masks are ready to serve during the opening match between Wuhan Zall and Qingdao Huanghai at the postponed 2020 season Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) Suzhou Division in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, July 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

Chinese Super League 2020 kicks off new format. Will it bring new champions?

Beijing Guoan’s Nico Yennaris, also known as Li Ke, celebrates with teammate Renato Augusto after scoring in last season’s Chinese Super League. Photo: AFP

(FILES) This file picture taken on April 4, 2018 shows Shanghai SIPG forward Hulk reacting during the AFC Asian Champions League group match between Shanghai SIPG and Kawasaki Frontale in Shanghai. - The departure of goal machine Wu Lei puts extra pressure on the broad shoulders of Brazilian striker Hulk as Shanghai SIPG kick off their Chinese Super League title defence on March 1, 2019. (Photo by JOHANNES EISELE / AFP)

(FILES) This file photo taken on July 18, 2018 shows Guangzhou Evergrande's Anderson Talisca reacting during their 2018 Chinese Football Association Super League football match against Guizhou Hengfeng in Guangzhou in China's southern Guangdong province. - Anderson Talisca is ripping it up in the Chinese Super League (CSL), plundering 11 goals in eight games since joining Guangzhou Evergrande to show why he was on the radar of Jose Mourinho. (Photo by STR / AFP) / China OUT / TO GO WITH Fbl-Asia-CHN-Guangzhou-Talisca-BRA,FOCUS by Peter Stebbings

Covid-19 outbreak in Dalian causes concern as Chinese Super League finally prepares to start

Guangzhou Evergrande players celebrate after winning the 2019 Chinese Super League championship. Photo: Xinhua

(191023) -- GUANGZHOU, Oct. 23, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Fabio Cannavaro, head coach of Guangzhou Evergrande, reacts prior to the 2nd leg of semi-final match between Guangzhou Evergrande of China and Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan at the AFC Champions League in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, China, on Oct. 23, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

Football Soccer - Chinese Super League - Shanghai SIPG Training - Shanghai, China - May 7, 2020. Shanghai SIPG players take part in the first public training following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. REUTERS/Aly Song

Chinese Super League set for kick-off after 1,800 negative Covid-19 tests

Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG train in May. Photo: Reuters

Players of the Chinese Super League team Wuhan Zall arrive at the Atocha train station in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. The Chinese first-division soccer club from the city of Wuhan enters its second month in Spain without knowing when it will be able to return home. . It hasn't been easy for the nearly 50 members of the Wuhan Zall squad, but on Sunday they will get some reprieve from their ordeal by attending the Spanish league "clasico" between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

epa08289657 Players of Chinese Super League soccer club Wuhan Zall attend their team's training session at La Quinta sports facilities near Marbella, southern Spain, 12 March 2020. The Chinese socer team from Wuhan have decided to leave their training camp in southern Spain to return to China. EPA-EFE/APZ

Sport

Football

China


CSL champions Guangzhou Evergrande beat Shanghai Shenhua 2-0 in season opener thanks to Wei Shihao brace
Wuhan Zall beat Qingdao Huanghai 2-0 after guard of honour from captains of the other clubs in the Suzhou-based group



CSL champions Guangzhou Evergrande beat Shanghai Shenhua 2-0 in season opener thanks to Wei Shihao brace.


Chinese Football Association (CFA)

Coronavirus China