The story appears on

Page A16

May 23, 2016

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » Sports » Soccer

Conca extends SIPG stay for 2 more years

SHANGHAI SIPG midfielder Dario Conca yesterday extended his stay at the club for two more years.

The club’s general manager Sui Guoyang has labeled the Argentine as the “most important player for SIPG.”

“Conca played a crucial role in last year’s competitions, as well as in this year’s league, cup and AFC Champions League matches,” Sui said. “He is the soul of the team who leads his teammates on the pitch.”

The former Guangzhou Evergrande player joined SIPG last year and has scored 15 goals in 49 appearances.

“I’m very honored to extend the contract with the club,” the 33-year-old said. “For a player, it is important to join a good team in the best years of his career and play in high-level competitions. I hope I can help them win a championship in the next two years.”

Sui promptly added: “It is also the club’s wish (to win a trophy in the next two years).”

SIPG is joint third with Hebei China Fortune in the 16-team Chinese Super League. The Shanghai outfit beat Hangzhou Greentown 1-0 on Saturday.

SIPG will take on Tokyo FC in the second leg of the last-16 stage of the AFC Champions League tomorrow.

SIPG’s Swedish head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said the club’s goal was to “win something” when asked which was more important competition for SIPG — the CSL or the AFC Champions League.

“I won’t say which one is more important. If we lose on Tuesday, and don’t get good results in the CSL, it will be a double failure. The club wants to win something, and get a quota for next year’s AFC Champions League. We will consider CSL and AFC league as a whole.”

After Tuesday’s AFC match, SIPG will play defending champion and CSL leader Guangzhou Evergrande on Sunday. Two weeks later, it will be up against big-spending CSL side Jiangsu Suning followed by a match against Shandong Luneng.

Conca will miss the Evergrande match after collecting four yellow cards. SIPG’s Brazilian striker Elkeson will also sit out as his current contract forbids him from playing against his former team.

Meanwhile, Shanghai Greenland Shenhua beat Chongqing Lifan 1-0 in CSL yesterday after Chongqing’s Croatian defender Goran Milovic scored an own goal, taking Shenhua up to joint fifth in the table with Tianjin Teda.




 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend