Shanghai SIPG hit training as Chinese Super League eyes July 25 restart
SHOWS: SHANGHAI, CHINA (JULY 14, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. PLAYERS OF SHANGHAI SIPG IN TRAINING
2. STRIKER MARKO ARNAUTOVIC DOING WARM-UP
3. PLAYERS IN TRAINING
4. MIDFIELDER OSCAR DOING WARM-UP
5. COACH VITOR PEREIRA
6. STRIKER HULK DOING WARM-UP
7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHANGHAI SIPG COACH, VITOR PEREIRA, SAYING:
"I think the virus affected all our lives, not only the lives of the players of the teams, but our lives, our families and everything. I don't see my family for a long time."
8. PLAYERS IN TRAINING
9. COACH VITOR PEREIRA
10. ARNAUTOVIC DOING WARM-UP
11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHANGHAI SIPG COACH, VITOR PEREIRA, SAYING:
"Try to help my players. Try to focus my players but it's not easy. Now we start the last (friendly) games. The last games I saw my team increased in the level and this is a good sign for us."
12. OSCAR IN TRAINING
13. PLAYERS IN TRAINING
14. ARNAUTOVIC IN TRAINING
15. PLAYERS IN TRAINING
16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHANGHAI SIPG STRIKER, MARKO ARNAUTOVIC, SAYING:
"As you can see in Germany and Italy, England, Spain, they all play without fans and they all have to follow the restrictions and the rules and we need to follow the rules as well. It means when we now going for two months to Suzhou and be there in the hotel and train and play, then I am happy with that. I have no problems with this whatever. Of course it's always better when you play with fans and you have the full stadium but we need to respect the rules."
17. HULK IN TRAINING
18. PLAYERS IN TRAINING
19. ARNAUTOVIC HEADING BALL
20. HULK IN TRAINING
21. OSCAR AND ARNAUTOVIC IN TRAINING
22. PLAYERS IN TRAINING
23. ARNAUTOVIC SHOOTING
Story: Hulk, Oscar and Marko Arnautovic hit the practice pitch during Shanghai SIPG training session on Tuesday (July 14) as the side gears up for a planned Chinese Super League (CSL) restarts on July 25, after a delay of almost five months from its scheduled start.
The league was originally set to begin on Feb. 22 but was postponed indefinitely because of the spread of COVID-19, which first emerged in China late last year.
Chinese media have reported that the teams will need to arrive in the two city hubs -- Suzhou near Shanghai and Dalian in the northeast of China -- by July 21.
Provided all safety requirements have been put in place, the league intends to return to action with all games being played without fans in attendance.
"As you can see in Germany, Italy, England, Spain, they are all playing without fans and they all have to follow the restrictions and the rules and we need to follow the rules as well." said the Austrian striker, Marko Arnautovic.
"Of course it's always better when you play with fans and you have the full stadium but we need to respect the rules."
Under plans proposed by the Chinese Football Association (CFA) in May, the teams in each hub will play a round robin with the top four qualifying for an eight-team "championship" stage and the bottom four from each going into a "relegation" phase.
The CSL's first game on July 25 is scheduled for Fabio Cannavaro's reigning champions Guangzhou Evergrande against Shanghai Shenhua, while Shanghai SIPG's first game is set to be against Tianjin Taida two days later.
(Production: Xihao Jiang)
