Li Tie's squad left 'anxious, homesick' by coronavirus

China coach Li Tie has revealed the psychological toll the novel coronavirus took on the national football squad during a five-week training camp prolonged by the pandemic.

Li's men spent much of March in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where many Chinese Super League teams also took refuge, before returning home when the outbreak began to subside in China.

Chinese media previously reported that the squad was mentally fatigued by a combination of practice, quarantine and being away from their families for so long at a difficult time.

Coronavirus emerged in central China in December before spreading worldwide and has torpedoed football seasons — and sport in general — all over the globe.

"With the epidemic situation in Dubai worsening every day, the number of guests in our hotel was decreasing day by day," Li told Chinese television.

"The other Chinese Super League teams who had been training there returned to China one after another.

"During that time, all our players and staff were under great psychological pressure.

"Everyone was anxious, homesick and worried about our own safety."

After struggling to find a flight, Li's squad left Dubai on March 23 and flew to southern Hainan Island for quarantine and more training, according to Xinhua news agency.

The players, who all tested negative for coronavirus, only returned to their clubs last week to prepare for the CSL season — but that has been indefinitely put back.

Former Everton midfielder Li had gathered his side for World Cup qualifiers on March 26 and 31 against the Maldives and Guam before they were postponed.

Brazil-born striker Elkeson was the only naturalized player in the training squad but Li said he will not be afraid to call up other foreign-born players.

"Undoubtedly naturalized players can make the national team stronger," he said.

"As far as I am concerned, more naturalized players will join my team, provided that they are willing to serve the team."

Li believes that the 2022 World Cup qualifiers will resume in October or November, although there are no confirmed dates.

Li replaced Marcello Lippi after the Italian World Cup winner abruptly quit in November following defeat to Group A rival Syria.

The loss left China fighting to keep its 2022 hopes alive, eight points behind table-topper Syria.

SHINE

At the club-level, Tianjin Tianhai players, unpaid for three months and unsure about their outfit's eligibility for the CSL, have become resigned to the deepening uncertainty shrouding the club's future, according to media reports.

The Tianjin club is still waiting for a ruling by the Chinese Football Association on its eligibility as well as the fund promised by its possible new owners.

The Shanghai-based Oriental Sports Daily reported on Monday that  Tianhai players, who have not received any pay over the past three months, have made peace with the uncertainty facing their club.

"We used to be very distressed, but now we have come to terms with it," an unnamed player said.

"We can do nothing but wait. We, as always, believe that all will be dealt with well," he added.

Tianjin has become the focal point for Chinese football which is currently hanging in a limbo of total obscurity brought about by COVID-19.

Without the outbreak, the debt-ridden Tianjin side could have already been kicked out of the CSL, which had been scheduled to kick off on February 22.

It has been trying to convince the CFA of its eligibility since March 13 when Vantone Holdings Co Ltd, one of the largest real estate investment companies in Beijing, agreed to take over.

But a CFA rule, which stipulates that any takeover of CSL clubs should be completed by January 10, turned out to be an insurmountable hurdle for the club.

Tianhai then tried to bypass the rule by taking a new approach — calling off the agreed takeover deal and getting money from Vantone as a sponsor.

"We have everything ready except the sponsored money that Vantone has promised to transfer to our club's account," the club said on its Weibo account on April 3.

It was assumed that if Tianhai can prove its financial health, the CFA will probably give it the green light.

According to media reports, until Monday the Tianjin club had not got the the promised sponsored money, which is believed to amount to 250 million yuan (US$34.45 million).

The Tianjin club, whose debts are reported to be around US$145 million, has seen 13 players depart while failing to make a single signing during the offseason.

This club's future had been thrown into turmoil after its former owner Quanjian, a pharmaceutical company, was embroiled in a false marketing scandal, and the Tianjin Football Association stepped in to take over in January 2019.

Tianjin narrowly avoided relegation in 2019 and the club's financial struggles had led to speculation that it may not be able to participate in the 2020 campaign.