Sept. 9: Stop Saying Foreign Players Came Only for Money! Former CSL Star Hulk Praises China: He Did Not Come Only for Money, He Truly Fell in Love with China

In the program, Romario asked Hulk whether moving to the Chinese Super League had narrowed his path to the Brazil national team. Hulk nodded and said it had indeed become more distant. He then changed the subject, saying China might have been the country where he enjoyed life the most, as he lived in Shanghai, his children liked it there, and he felt comfortable going out, riding bicycles, and walking around.

Born in 1986, Hulk began his career with Japanese clubs Kawasaki, Sapporo, and Tokyo Verdy before moving to Porto and Zenit. In July 2016, he transferred from Zenit Saint Petersburg to Shanghai SIPG, with publicly reported transfer fee figures of around 55.8 million to 56 million euros.

In the remaining half of the 2016 season, he was affected by injuries and played only seven CSL matches, scoring four goals. In 2017, he fully performed, recording 17 goals and 12 assists in 27 CSL matches as the team finished runners-up in the league. In the AFC Champions League, the team reached the semifinals before being eliminated by Urawa Red Diamonds, and Hulk contributed goals or assists in several consecutive matches.

2018 was a turning point for SIPG. Hulk, Oscar, and Wu Lei formed the attacking trio, with Hulk producing 13 goals and 13 assists in the CSL as the team won the first CSL title in club history. Wu Lei won the Golden Boot that year, Oscar linked the play, and Hulk was responsible for powerful wing runs and finishing chances inside the penalty area.

In 2019, SIPG defeated Beijing Guoan in the Super Cup, but Hulk's form declined after winning the trophy. He scored 10 goals and provided seven assists in 25 CSL appearances. In 2020, he scored six goals in 16 CSL matches. During the AFC Champions League match against Yokohama F. Marinos, which ended in a 0-1 defeat, he had a dispute with Pereira and did not appear in the following matches.

Across four and a half seasons, he made 145 appearances for SIPG, scoring 76 goals and providing 54 assists. He won one CSL title and one Super Cup trophy, with his best AFC Champions League result being a semifinal appearance.

Romario was most direct when discussing the national team period. Hulk made 49 appearances for Brazil, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists. In Brazil's 0-1 defeat to Peru at the June 2016 Copa America, he came on as a substitute in the 72nd minute. That same month he signed for SIPG, and he was not selected for Brazil for a long period afterward.

In 2021, he returned to Brazil and joined Atletico Mineiro. In September that year, Brazil defeated Peru 2-0 in World Cup qualifying, and he came on as a substitute in the 84th minute. It was about five years since his previous national team appearance, and he had one chance where he rounded the goalkeeper but missed from a tight angle.

He revived his form in his first year at Atletico Mineiro. In 2021, he scored 36 goals in all competitions, won the Brazilian league Golden Boot with 19 league goals, and helped the team win the Brazilian league, Copa do Brasil, and Campeonato Mineiro titles. Romario said on the program that Hulk had won 11 trophies in five years, while Hulk replied that the most special one was the Brazilian league title and that he did not count things that had not happened yet.

He also discussed with Romario the difficulty of training and playing in China. In an earlier ESPN interview, he said the combination of Chinese teammates' level and the CSL pace required more thinking, as players had to make decisions faster after receiving the ball. Oscar also shared a similar feeling with him, saying teammates would make forward runs after receiving the ball and slow decisions could lead to being surrounded.

Life off the pitch was different. Hulk lived in Shanghai, his children adapted well, and he could ride bicycles and walk outside easily. He repeatedly mentioned the sense of freedom. Oscar later said in a domestic interview that his family and children came to Shanghai, his wife liked it, his two children could speak Chinese, daily travel was convenient, people were friendly, and he learned some Shanghainese from a local helper.

At the end of 2020, Hulk posted a farewell message to SIPG on Weibo, writing thanks to China and thanks to SIPG. In 2021, the two sides did not renew the contract and he returned to Brazil. He had contact with clubs in Turkey and Brazil before ultimately choosing Atletico Mineiro, with one major reason being his desire to be closer to his children and spend time with his family.

When foreign players come to the CSL, media coverage often focuses first on salaries and transfer fees. In this reflection, Hulk did not talk about money, but about markets, streets, bicycle lanes, and his children's school. He has lived in Japan, Portugal, Russia, China, and Brazil, and he rated his Shanghai life very highly. This does not mean the CSL was easy competitively, nor does it mean there was no sacrifice regarding national team opportunities.