Earns 120 Million! Former CSL Foreign Star Mocks Chinese Players: “They Think They’re Superstars but Can’t Even Play Football”

Recently, former Brazilian international Hernanes stirred controversy after bluntly criticizing Chinese footballers during an interview with Brazilian media. The ex-midfielder, who once played in the Chinese Super League, claimed that many Chinese players “think they’re stars but actually don’t know how to play football.” His remarks quickly went viral, sparking heated discussions among fans and the press.

Born in 1985, Hernanes was once hailed as one of Brazil’s brightest midfielders and was even called “the next Pirlo” for his creativity and control. He began his career with São Paulo FC, becoming the team’s midfield core by age 22. His exceptional performances earned him moves to Italy, where he played for Lazio, Inter Milan, and Juventus—some of Serie A’s biggest clubs—reaching a peak market value of €18 million.

In 2017, Hernanes joined Hebei China Fortune in the Chinese Super League for a transfer fee of €10 million. However, his time in China was short-lived. Struggling to adapt, he was loaned back to São Paulo after just six months. He later returned to Hebei but made little impact, scoring only 3 goals in 13 matches during the 2018 season. Despite this, his contract was extremely lucrative—earning him around €8 million per year, totaling about €16 million, or approximately 120 million RMB, over two seasons.

In the interview, Hernanes didn’t mince words. He argued that Chinese players earn excessively high wages—often surpassing those of European footballers—yet lack the same professionalism and skill level. “They see themselves as stars,” he said, “but in reality, they’re nowhere near that standard.” He also pointed out a key issue: “If a pass isn’t exactly the way they expect, they don’t know how to react. They live under the illusion of being football celebrities, unwilling to learn or improve.”

While his comments sound harsh, many admit there’s some truth to them. During the peak of the CSL’s “golden era,” when world-class foreign players were brought in, it was expected that Chinese players would learn and improve. Yet despite the high salaries, the overall level of play declined, and the national team’s performance continued to worsen. Hernanes’ words may be unpleasant to hear, but they touch a painful truth about the state of Chinese football. Do you agree with his perspective?