China was terribleSon Heung-min in Korea, but he criticized why he didn't succeed
Aug 19, 2025
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On the 18th (Korea time), Chinese media Sohu highlighted an interview recently conducted by Brazilian defender Bruno Viana, who played in the Chinese Super League, with Brazilian reporter Leandro Macar. Bruno strongly criticized the days of the Chinese Super League. Recalling the experience at the time as "very unpleasant times," he was outspoken in pointing out the league's chaos, unpaid wages, and lack of leadership competence.
Bruno is a Brazilian centre-back born in 1995. Starting in Brazil and having experience in several countries, including Olympiacos in Greece and SC Braga in Portugal, he joined Wuhan Chang in April 2022. Bruno, who showed overwhelming performance as a center back in Wuhan Changjang, decided to leave the team again after eight months.
Recalling that time, Bruno said "Playing in China was a terrible experience for me. My salary was delayed, and my surroundings were not ideal at all. The overall level of the Chinese Super League is not too bad compared to other countries, but the problem lies in the quality of the Chinese native coaches." He criticized his time playing for Wuhan Changjiang very strongly.
One of the reasons Bruno didn't even want to recall the Chinese days was the disastrous leadership of the native Chinese coach. At that time, the person who led the Wuhan Chiefs was Li Jinyu, one of the legends of the Chinese national team. In the 2022 season, Wuhan Changjang faced a shocking ending of relegation under Li Jinwi.
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The second reason was overdue wages. At that time, Wuhan Changjang was operated by a Chinese company, and declared its dismantlement after the 2022 season when Bruno was present. The financial status of the parent company was a problem, and it seems that there was even a delayed wage in the process. "I've been through the club's unpaid wages, and I've deeply felt that their attitude toward football has already become indifferent," he said bluntly.
Viana also cited cultural background as a structural problem in Chinese football. "Unlike Brazilian players, Chinese players generally lack the spirit of inquiry," he said. They prefer stability, which makes it difficult to incorporate into the new culture. This is why Son Heung-min appeared in Korea and Hidetoshi Nakata in Japan, but the Chinese player hated Chinese soccer very much, saying, "This is why he did not succeed in Europe."
Meanwhile, Bruno traveled to Portugal, Brazil, and Turkiye after leaving China. Now he plays for Alanyaspor, where Hwang Ui-jo is located.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
