Former Napoli captain Marek Hamsik made his Dalian Yifang debut on Sunday but admitted ‘I have to get used’ to Chinese football.
Hamsik ended a 12-year association with Napoli to join Dalian last month, and he played the entirety of his new side’s 1-1 draw with Henan Jianye on the opening day of the new Chinese Super League season.
The result came despite Dalian going down to 10 men, although the midfielder failed to score a goal or register an assist.
Former Napoli captain Marek Hamsik made his Dalian Yifang debut on Sunday but admitted ‘I have to get used’ to Chinese football.
Hamsik ended a 12-year association with Napoli to join Dalian last month, and he played the entirety of his new side’s 1-1 draw with Henan Jianye on the opening day of the new Chinese Super League season.
The result came despite Dalian going down to 10 men, although the midfielder failed to score a goal or register an assist.
“We played the second half with 10 men, but ironically we did better,” he told the club’s official website after the game.
“We did better as the game progressed. My debut? Overall, I think I had a good game. My debut was a positive one. Our performance was very good.
“We’re happy to have played the same as we did with 10 men for almost an hour. I also thank our fans for their support.
“Chinese football is certainly different to how it’s played in Europe. I have to get used to it.”