Corinthians player Chen Zhizhao, known in Brazil as Zizao, became the first Chinese footballer to appear in the Brasileirão during his side’s 2-0 away defeat to Cruzeiro on Wednesday.
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Chen, 24, signed for the São Paulo based club in March and has had to wait until know to make his debut, but has become a fan favourite during his long wait for an appearance.
“I am very happy, I felt very good to be on the pitch,” Chen told reporters post-match. “Unfortunately we lost, but I hope that Corinthians can win next time. I hope to have more opportunities in the coming games.”
The Chinese winger was greeted by applause from the fans as he took the field to replace Welder in the second-half, wearing shirt No. 200 to celebrate 200 years of Chinese immigration to Brazil.
Despite a couple of errors, his performance was generally well received in the Brazilian media and the hype surrounding his debut will certainly will help Corinthians to avoid too many questions over a disappointing defeat in the coming days.
