As China continues its path of reform and opening up, many areas of Chinese sports have reached milestones once dreamed of by the nation’s sporting pioneers. The women’s volleyball team stands as a symbol of perseverance, chess grandmaster Nie Weiping once stunned Japan in historic duels, and sports like table tennis, badminton, and diving have become national pride. Yet in the world’s most popular sport—football—China’s men’s national team remains a long-standing disappointment. China has rarely qualified as a representative of Asia in major tournaments like the World Cup or the Olympics. More painfully, its long-standing struggle against South Korea...
Real Madrid Dominates with Aerial Power
Real Madrid has truly mastered the art of scoring with headers this season, turning set pieces and crosses into one of their most lethal weapons. Among the squad, Sergio Ramos stands out as a top aerial threat. In league play alone, Ramos has scored six goals with his head—only Nice’s Mario Balotelli has managed more, with eight. When counting all competitions, both players are tied at the top with eight header goals each. With a lineup stacked with physically imposing players like Ramos (1.83m), Varane (1.90m), Pepe (1.86m), Bale (1.83m), Cristiano Ronaldo (1.85m), and Benzema (1.83m), Real Madrid poses...
Ha Tae-Goon Joins China League One Club
Just two days after parting ways with Yanbian Funde, Ha Tae-Goon was widely rumored to be returning to Korea’s K League, with Ulsan Hyundai expected to be his next destination. That speculation wasn’t baseless—sources within Yanbian confirmed Ulsan had shown strong interest in the striker and had already initiated contact with his agent. However, in a surprising turn of events, China League One newcomers Baoding Rongda swooped in and sealed the deal, securing the signature of the former Golden Boot winner in the nick of time. Following the 2016 season, Lijiang Flying Tigers—who were also promoted to China League...
Goretzka Says Winter Signings Boost Schalke
Schalke 04 midfielder Leon Goretzka believes the recent additions of Holger Badstuber and Guido Burgstaller can play a major role in helping the team rebound in the second half of the Bundesliga season. Schalke’s campaign so far has been a rollercoaster—starting with five consecutive losses, followed by a mid-season recovery, only to stumble again with a 2-1 defeat to Hamburg just before the winter break. As it stands, Schalke sits in 11th place, far below expectations. In December alone, Markus Weinzierl’s side suffered three defeats in four matches. To address the inconsistency, Schalke acted in the January transfer window...
Crickex Login Reveals Chelsea’s Mourinho Payout
When José Mourinho made headlines last summer by taking charge at Manchester United, he did so with one of the highest salaries in world football—over £10 million annually. But as Crickex Login reports show, his past with Chelsea continues to leave a hefty mark on the club’s finances. According to Chelsea’s recently published financial statements, the Blues paid Mourinho £8.3 million in severance after sacking him for the second time in late 2015. Adding to that figure, Mourinho and his coaching staff had already received £23.1 million in compensation when he was first dismissed in 2007. Altogether, Chelsea has...