JINAN - Chinese Super League (CSL) club Shandong Taishan has announced that Valeri Qazaishivili and Zeca have joined the team ahead of the 2024 season.

Georgia international midfielder Qazaishvili, who is 31, previously played for clubs in the Netherlands, Poland and the United States. Before joining Shandong, he turned out for South Korean side Ulsan Hyundai, where he scored 11 goals and laid on three assists in the 2023 season.

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Brazilian striker Jose Joaquim de Carvalho, or Zeca, also played in South Korea before joining Shandong. He scored 17 goals for the Pohang Steelers and was named the best overseas player in the K-League in 2023.

Shandong has also signed Gao Zhunyi, Peng Xinli and Bi Zhunhao on free transfers.

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"We wish all the new members to fit into the team as soon as possible and show their talents in the coming games of the new year," Shandong Taishan said in a statement.

In order to commend the groups and individuals with outstanding performance in the 2023 professional league, the annual award selection event has been resumed this season. In accordance with the three-level league regulations and the "2023 Professional League Various Annual Awards Selection Methods and Implementation Rules", with the extensive participation of professional league clubs, teams, media, and the public, the selection committee selected the 2023 Professional League Annual Awards. , the results are now announced as follows:

Yu Hanchao's winning goal propelled Shanghai Shenhua to a 1-0 victory over defending champion Shandong Taishan in the 2023 CFA Cup final here on Saturday.

Shandong, which has reached the CFA Cup final in six consecutive years and won the latest three, was unable to field a full-strength squad as several key players, including Moises and Jadson, were suspended.

In a goalless first half, Marouane Fellaini nearly broke the deadlock, but his close-range shot was cleared by a Shenhua defender before crossing the goal line.

Shanghai scored in the 63rd minute when Yu Hanchao, assisted by Cephas Malele, cut into the penalty area from behind and found the net. Malele had won a duel to deliver the crucial back pass.

Just three minutes later, Shandong nearly equalized, but Chen Pu's header struck the post.

In the last minute of regular time, Shenhua fullback Yan Xinli received two consecutive yellow cards for deliberately wasting match time and entering the pitch without permission after an injury. Despite having a one-player advantage, Shandong was unable to level the score in the six-minute stoppage time.

"Our team prepared well for the match, and all the players were fully concentrated on the pitch in terms of physical and tactical confrontations. We also got a bit of luck," Shanghai Shenhua head coach Wu Jingui said.

On the morning of July 27th, Beijing time, the Taishan team officially announced that the team officially signed Brazilian forward Mateus Pato to compete with the team in the remaining league and cup matches this season. At this point, the Taishan team finally gathered 5 foreign players.

The Taishan team official wrote: After friendly negotiations and agreement with the Indonesian Borneo Football Club and the player himself, the Brazilian player Matheus Pato completed the registration and officially joined the Shandong Taishan Football Club.

In the first half of the league, the Taishan team has been suffering from foreign aid issues. The team has a vacancy for foreign aid, and secondary transfer reinforcement has become an urgent problem to be solved. Previously, the Taishan team gave up on taking back Leonardo and did not sign up Delgado. Finally, they chose Brazilian striker Pato from the Indonesian League.

Pato is 28 years old and is in his prime. He has played in many national leagues such as Brazil, Portugal, South Korea, and Indonesia. Last season, he played for the Indonesian Super League team Borneo, scoring 25 goals in 32 appearances. 3 Assists, became the top scorer in the Indonesian League, very efficient. Pato is 1.85 meters tall, has excellent header skills, and also has good foot skills, which can play a good fulcrum role.

In the first half of the league, the Taishan team lacked a genuine center. This position has been filled by Fellaini, but he is 37 years old after all. Pato's arrival can enrich the team's tactics and add a high point on the front line. At present, Moises, Judsson, Cresan, Fernando of the Taishan team, and Fabio of the coaching staff are all from the Portuguese-speaking department. Pato can integrate into the team faster and better.

Although Pato is not well-known, judging from his performance last season, he is still very capable. If he can adapt to the Chinese Super League and integrate into the team, he is likely to play a role of high quality and low price. The Taishan team has not officially announced Pato's jersey number, but Pato does not have many choices and is likely to wear the No. 8 jersey.

Pato arrived in Jinan yesterday. The Taishan team will return to Jinan today after finishing the FA Cup match. Pato can meet Cui Kangxi and his new teammates for the first time. Moises and Judsson were unable to play in the Jinglu game due to suspensions. Cresan also strained in yesterday's FA Cup match. If they can break in quickly, Pato will be able to play in the home game against Beijing Guoan as soon as this Sunday. It is possible to make his debut. The Indonesian League is currently in season, and there are no major problems with Pato's physical and competitive condition. We look forward to Pato's performance.