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Jonathan White

Former Portugal under-21 international Pedro Delgado has become the latest footballer to be naturalised as a Chinese citizen, and reportedly the first without Chinese ancestry.
The Shandong Luneng midfielder is expected to make his Chinese Super League debut in the coming weeks.
However, confusion surrounds both his eligibility to naturalise and represent the Chinese national team in the future.
The 22-year-old represented Portugal through the age groups and played at the Fifa Under-20 World Cup. This has some people claiming that he is unable to represent China in the future.

A widely-circulated photo of Pedro Delgado's Chinese citizenship card. Name: De'erjiaduo (Chinese transliteration of Delgado). Ethnicity: Han. Media said any of the 56 ethnic groups could be chosen and he chose the majority Han. He could have chosen others like Uighur or Tibetan. pic.twitter.com/Lw5bVTCuJN
— Titan Sports Plus (@titan_plus) June 22, 2019

He should be eligible under Article 8 of the Fifa Statutes, regarding change of association, as he has not played a competitive game for the senior Portugal side.
However, he would have to wait five years to meet Fifa’s eligibility requirements in terms of residence. This is only the case if players cannot claim to have a parent or grandparent from the country in question.




His parents are both Portuguese, according to Xinhua, although there is confusion as to whether he has any Chinese heritage further back.
There are conflicting reports. Posts on social media claim that he has a Chinese grandfather that emigrated to Mozambique from Guangdong province, while others claim he has no Chinese heritage.
Some Chinese media have reported Delgado as the “first non-Chinese naturalised player”. If this is the case then it expands the possibility of which footballers can become Chinese.

Shandong Luneng officially announced that Pedro Delgado, a 22-year-old Portuguese-born midfielder, who joined the club in January from Sporting CP, has gained Chinese citizenship. He will be eligible to play for Shandong Luneng as a Chinese player from matchday 16. pic.twitter.com/l5y4yUEZm4
— Titan Sports Plus (@titan_plus) June 21, 2019

Delgado signed for Shandong Luneng on July 1, 2018, and as early as this February it was rumoured that the club were attempting to make him their first naturalised player.
The delays in his naturalisation were down to the difficulties in renouncing his Portuguese citizenship, according to Shandong manager Li Xiaopeng.
The boss also claimed before Shandong’s 2-1 loss to Tianjin Teda that Delgado could make his debut in the game. He did not appear in the squad on Saturday, instead watching his teammates from the stands.

There was confusion again as other reports have suggested that Delgado can only feature on match day 16, the first week of matches after the July 1 opening of the transfer window and chance to register players for the second half of the season.
If he is indeed eligible to play then the midfielder might feature in the next game against league leaders Beijing Guoan on June 30. His presence would be welcomed as Marouane Fellaini was sent off against Teda and will miss the match.
Li has said that Delgado is fit but has also warned of expecting too much of a player that has not played in a year.
Possibility of naturalised players in Chinese Super League changes the face of football’s future
Delgado came up through the ranks at Inter Milan before returning to Sporting Lisbon, where he started his career, as part of the deal that took Portugal international midfielder Joao Mario to Italy.
The new Shandong Luneng No 10 also spent time at Portimonense, where his father Amilcar is director of football.
Delgado will be eligible to play in the Chinese Super League and Chinese FA Cup as a domestic player, rather than one of the foreign quota. He will also count as an under-23.
China’s soccer body wants naturalised players to be patriotic
His ID card shows him as a member of the Han minority, along with more than 90 per cent of the country’s population.
London-born Nico Yennaris made history when he became the first naturalised player to play for the China national team earlier this month.
Returning China coach Marcello Lippi has made it clear that he is happy to call on naturalised players as the country seeks to qualify for a second Fifa World Cup.
Nico Yennaris makes history as China’s first naturalised player
The qualifiers for Qatar 2022 begin in September, with China finding out who they face in their group at the draw next month.
There is speculation that Lippi’s former strike partnership at Guangzhou Evergrande, Elkeson and Ricardo Goulart, will be naturalised in time for the qualifiers.
The Brazilians would be eligible to play immediately upon naturalisation as they have already fulfilled the residency requirements.


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Chinese Super League

Chinese Super League: Is Pedro Delgado the ‘first non-Chinese’ player to naturalise?

Pedro Delgado holds a shirt featuring the Chinese Super League side Shandong Luneng's badge and the China flag. Photo: Sina Sports

Pedro Delgado

Nico Yennaris makes history as China’s first naturalised player after call-up from Marcello Lippi

Nico Yennaris, also known as Li Ke, celebrates a goal in the Chinese Super League. Photo: Agence France-Presse

Nico Yennaris’ naturalisation may just help bring China into the 21st century

Nico Yennaris is part of Chinese football history. Photo: Twitter

Shanghai SIPG's Brazilian forward Elkeson celebrates after scoring a goal during the Chinese Super League match against Changchun Yatai in Shanghai on March 4, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / STR / CHINA OUT

Guangzhou Evergrande forward Ricardo Goulart (#11) fights for the ball with Kawasaki Frontale midfielder Kengo Nakamura (#14) during the AFC Champions League football match between Japan's Kawasaki Frontale and China's Guangzhou Evergrande FC in Todoroki Stadium in Kawasaki on April 12, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Toru YAMANAKA

(190125) -- ABU DHABI, Jan. 25, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Head coach of China Marcello Lippi (R) looks on during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup quarterfinal match between China and Iran in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, on Jan. 24, 2019. Iran won 3-0 to progress through to the semifinals. (Xinhua/Cao Can)

China's players greet their fans during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup quarter-final football match between China and Iran at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium Stadium in Abu Dhabi on January 24, 2019. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)

This photo taken on April 14, 2019 shows Nico Yennaris (top), also known as Li Ke, of Beijing Guoan celebrating with teammate Renato Augusto after scoring during their Chinese Super League match against Henan Jianye in Beijing. - Nico Yennaris was born in working-class east London, played with Harry Kane at Arsenal as a boy and is an England youth international. (Photo by STR / AFP) / China OUT

Sport

China

Football

Confusion surrounds former Portugal under-21 international’s eligibility
Reports conflict on whether Shandong Luneng man has Chinese ancestry


Confusion surrounds former Portugal under-21 international’s eligibility


Fifa

Chinese Super League: Is Pedro Delgado the ‘first non-Chinese’ player to naturalise?

Confusion surrounds former Portugal under-21 international’s eligibility Reports conflict on whether Shandong Luneng man has Chinese ancestry

Confusion surrounds former Portugal under-21 international’s eligibility

Reports conflict on whether Shandong Luneng man has Chinese ancestry