Mention Erelsen's name, Jiangsu fans will feel very kind. Although Jiangsu has withdrawn from the stage of history, no fan will forget the Brazilian foreign aid who played for Jiangsu for seven years.
Mixed with The Lower League of Brazil
The Brazilian foreign aid, who resembles the flower monk Lu Zhishen, has almost dedicated his best professional years to Jiangsu.
Many people may not know that this figure who has made a big splash in the Chinese Super League can only be mixed in the Brazilian C League before coming to China.
Erelsen was born in Brazil on April 2, 1985.
In the 2005–2006 season, Erelsen made his official debut at the Brazilian First Division side FC Goiás Sporting Club. In addition to playing with the team in the state league, he was loaned to a team called Anapolis Gormio in the Brazilian state of Arno.
In 2007, Erelsen moved to Celandia, a state league side in the Federative Region of Brazil.
In 2008, Erelsen joined The Social Football Team, a Brazilian football Cella team. However, even in the Third Division, he was unable to gain a foothold and was loaned by the team to the Brazilian side Leo Branque F.C. in the Brazilian state of Aca.
In 2009, Erelsen returned to the social team, but was soon loaned to Jiangsu Sainty.
Sainty Iron Gate and Sharp Knife
In the 2009 Chinese Super League, Erelsen, wearing the number 31 shirt, quickly became the anchor of the sea god in the defense of Jiangsu Shuntian. Erelsen's excellent physical qualities, fierce defensive interceptions, and conscientious professional attitude have all become reasons for fans to like him. In the second half of the league, Erelsen even wore the captain's armband.
At the end of the season, Jiangsu Sainty brought in Erelsen for $500,000 (rumored) and offered a three-year contract.
In the 2010 season, Erelsen was in a slump, but soon adjusted to the core of the team's defense. Although Jiangsu Sainty is only ranked 11th this season, the backline led by Erelsen is the best defense in the Chinese Super League. In the 30 games of the whole season, Jiangsu Sainty only conceded 27 goals, and Erelsen was indispensable to such achievements.
In the 2011 season, Erelsen and Jiangsu Sainty played well. Jiangsu Sainty won the 4th place in the league's all-time best result, and Erelsen is also considered by many professional media to be the best center-back in the Chinese Super League. It is worth mentioning that on May 20, 2011, Jiangsu Sainty away to Tianjin Teda, although the team lost 1:2, but Erelsen ushered in his debut goal in Jiangsu Sainty. The goal also kicked off Erelsen's offensive attributes, scoring a total of three goals this season.
The 2012 season was the best season in the memory of Jiangsu Sainty fans. With a steady defensive counterattack, Jiangsu Sainty has been soaring in the Chinese Super League. The defence led by Erelsen set a record for the longest time in the Chinese Super League not to concede a goal this season. In the league, Erelsen again contributed three goals.
In the 2013 season, Jiangsu Sainty was subject to two-line combat and injuries, and its results were on the slippery slope. However, Erelsen's performance is still reassuring, becoming an important contributor to the team's relegation success.
At the beginning of the 2014 season, when Shun Catholic practiced Gao Hongbo to implement a three-back tactic, Erelsen's performance was affected. However, as Gao Hongbo reassigned the formation back to the four backs, Erelsen returned to his previous form.
At the same time, Erelsen's performance on the offensive end is also more eye-catching, especially in the FA Cup final.
At that time, Jiangsu Sainty, who lost 2:4 in the first leg, fought backwaters. In the second leg, Gao Hongbo pushed Erelsen to the front. With his excellent physical fitness, Erelsen stirred up the chaos of the Shandong Luneng defense line. Erelsen first created a scoring opportunity for Antares, then scored with his own header to help the team take a 2-0 lead and force Luneng to a desperate situation. If it were not for McGwen's final, Erelsen would have lifted an FA Cup title for Jiangsu Sainty.
In the 2015 season, due to the impact of new foreign signings, Erelsen was pushed to the front line. However, in the second round of the league, Erelsen suffered an injury and missed half a season.
Regrets to leave
In January 2016, with the change of ownership of Jiangsu Sainty, the new owner Suning wanted to bring in a bigger foreign aid, so it did not renew the contract with Erelsen. In fact, Suning has also made efforts, such as wanting to naturalize Erelsen, but unfortunately it has not succeeded.
Although Erelsen has been away from Jiangsu for six years, there is no doubt that he is still one of the favorite players of Jiangsu fans.
A Brazilian low-level league player can succeed in the Chinese Super League, and his performance in the Golden Yuan era is not inferior, which shows that the league reinforcements must not be the bigger the better, as long as they can adapt to the needs of the team and be a little higher than the level of domestic players, they can gain a foothold in the league. Such players may be able to help the team even more, of course, they bring completely different help than the big players.
There is no absolute good or bad foreign aid, and after the Chinese Super League retreats, it may not be impossible to find good foreign aid, such as Jia Desong excavated by the Taishan team this year.
Perhaps, starting from this kind of affordable foreign aid, the Chinese Super League and the level of Chinese football will have a new beginning.