Petrescu in at Guizhou

Former Chelsea star Dan Petrescu became the latest name to make the lucrative move to China yesterday when he was appointed coach of Guizhou Hengfeng, currently bottom of the league.

The 50-year-old former Romanian international replaces the Spaniard Gregorio Manzano, who oversaw a poor start to the Chinese Super League season of one win in 11 games.

Guizhou made the change now because the CSL is on a break for the World Cup and will resume on July 17, with Petrescu’s first game scheduled one day later against defending champion Guangzhou Evergrande, coached by Italian Fabio Cannavaro.

Petrescu, a flying fullback or winger who played for Chelsea for nearly five years to 2000, has experience of China having been in charge at Jiangsu Suning in 2015-2016.

His managerial career has also included spells in Poland, Russia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as well as several clubs in his native Romania.

Petrescu, capped 95 times by Romania between 1989 and 2000, had been widely tipped to come in at Guizhou after quitting the Romanian champion Cluj this week.

Romanian media, citing Cluj sources, said that Petrescu’s salary was “close” to Jose Mourinho’s at Manchester United.

The Portuguese is said to be the best-paid coach in football, but a growing number of handsomely rewarded foreign players and coaches are being tempted to China.