Luis Figo Considers Playing In China

Former World Player of the Year Luis Figo of Portugal said he wants to extend his career outside of Europe and would even think about playing in the Chinese Super League (CSL), a Chinese newspaper reported on May 21st. The Portuguese international midfielder said he has retired from top level football after he helped Italian club Inter Milan win its fourth Serie A title in a row last weekend.

“I am still waiting for the calls from outside Europe, from U.S. or Japan,” the 36-year-old told the Chinese sports newspaper Titan Sports. “I am also happy to accept recruitment offers from CSL clubs.”

Unlike Japan, the Arabian Gulf and the U.S., Chinese football doesn’t field many big name players from other parts of the world who are looking to play out their careers in a secondary league as they get older.

Former Italian international and AS Roma midfielder Damiano Tommasi currently plays for Tianjin Teda, while former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne played for several months at Chinese second division club Gansu Tianma back in 2003.

It has also been rumoured that Toronto FC of Major League Soccer were once interested in obtaining Figo’s services because of the large Portuguese community in the Toronto area.

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