GervinhoontheruninagamebetweenHebeiCFFCandChangchunYataionApril7Gervinho,thestarforwardofHebeiChinaFortuneFootballClub(CFFC),hasagainbecomethetalkofthetowninEuropeanfootballcircles.AfterplayinginLeMans,Lille,RomeandnowHebeiofChina,persistentrumorslinkhimtoFrenchclubOlympiquedeMarseille.WhenaskedbymediaabouthispotentialreturntoEurope,Gervinhoappearedtodispelsuchrumors,“Idonotthinkit’stimetoleaveChina,asI’vejustarrivedhere.It’stooearlytotalkaboutmydeparture.IamcurrentlyaplayerofHebeiCFFC.Ifthey[OlympiquedeMarseille]wantmeelsewhere,theycandiscusswithHebeiCFFC.”
GervinhosaidhefeelsgoodtobepartofHebeiCFFCandheiskeentoadvanceandpromoteChinesefootball.“It’saveryexcitingchallenge,”saidthe31-year-old.
Surely,financialgainshaveplayedtheirpartinhisdecisiontomovetoChina.InJanuary2016,HebeiCFFCpayed18millioneuros($21.27million)forGervinhofromItalianclubA.S.Roma.TheIvorianforwardnowearnsanestimatedsalaryof10million($11.82million)eurosayear,or200,000euros($236,400)perweek.Asabonus,hecollectsmorethan150,000euros($117,300)foreachgoalhescores,and58,000euros($68,556)extraforeverygameheplays.Forhisfirstseason(2016),Gervinhoplayed18gamesandscoredthreegoals.
Talentedteam
FoundedonJanuary27,2015,HebeiCFFChassky-highambitions.BesidesGervinho,theclubhasrecruitedaslewofstarplayersfromtheEuropeanchampionship.TheseincludeStephaneMbia,formercaptainofCameroon’sIndomitableLions,Brazil’sAndersonHernanes,fromTurin’sJuventusFC,andArgentineanEzequielLavezziandJavierMascherano,respectivelyfromParisSaint-GermainandFCBarcelona.Withateamof39players,HebeiCFFCisinthehuntforglory.However,intheseason’sfirst10matches,Gervinhoandhiscolleaguesrankedninthwith12points-eightplacesbelowtop-rankedShanghaiSIPGFC.Inviewofthisgap,CFFCmayneedtoloweritsexpectations.Ofthe14goalsscoredbyhisclub,Gervinhodeliveredfourassistsandscoredone,butdespitethisapparentlymediocreperformancebyhisstandards,heremainsoptimisticaboutthefuture.
ThejourneytoChina
Gervinho,whoserealnameisGervaisYaoKouassi,isseenasanoffensive,agileandfastplayer,withverygoodballcontrolandshootingskillinfrontofthenet.Thankstohisundeniabletalent,thenativeofAnyama,insoutheastCôted’Ivoire,managedtobreakintointernationalfootball.
GervinhobeganhiscareerinAbidjan,aspartofASECMimosasYouthAcademy,undertheleadershipofFrenchmanJeanMarcGuillou.Becauseofhisaverageheight,hewasnicknamedGervinho,whichstuckwithhimuntiltoday.Afterafewimpressiveseasons,hemovedtoBelgiumwherehejoinedtheBeverenFC,thethenpartnerofASECMimosas.There,heplayedalongsideanumberofhisAfricancompatriotslikeBoubacarBarryCopaandRomaricN’driKoffi.Butresultsweredisappointing:hisclubfinishedlastintheBelgianchampionshipandwasrelegatedtotheBelgianSecondDivision.
Followinghisambitions,GervinholeftBeverenforLeMans,inFrance,inthesummerof2007,wherehepickedupthepaceandrapidlybecameoneoftherevelationsoftheFrenchLigue1.HisperformanceswerenoticedbyLilleOlympicSportingClub,wherehesignedathree-yearcontractonJuly20,2009,underthedirectionofcoachRudiGarciafor6.5millioneuros($7.68million).
Thankstohistechnicalskills,speedandballcontrol,Gervinhoquicklybecameoneofthepillarsofhisteam,whichwonboththeLigue1ChampionshipandFrenchCupinthe2010-11season.Gervinhorosetoseventhplaceinthescoringchartswith15goals.
HisexcellentperformancesatLilleopenedthedoorsoftheEnglishPremiership.OnJuly18,2011,hewasboughtbyArsenalFC.ButduetoabitterdisagreementwithcoachArsèneWenger,helefttheclubonAugust8,2013tojoinA.S.RomaFC,whereheteamedupagainwithhisformerLillecoachRudiGarcia.Onceagain,herevealedthefullextentofhistalent.Thankstohisconstantefforts,hisclubrosetothesecondplaceattheendoftheseason.HefinallyleftItalyfortheChineseSuperLeagueonJanuary26,2016.
InAfrica,hisoutstandingskillsbroughtasecondvictorytohishomecountryCôted’IvoireattheAfricaCupofNationsonJanuary31,2015inEquatorialGuinea.
GervinhocelebratesafterhescoresagoalinamatchintheChineseSuperLeagueInDecember2017,GervinhotoldParisMatchabouthisfutureplans,includingtheconstructionofafootballtrainingcenterfortheAbobo’sclub,LaColombe,whichhehasbought,intheareawherehegrewup.
“HavingaclubandatrainingcenterwasmydreamandIrealizedit,”hesaid.Hewantstodevotehimselftoanotherofhispassions:passingontheknowledgeandskillshehasaccumulated.ThisisalsowhyhesystematicallyspendshisholidaysinhishomecountryofCôted’Ivoire,whilehisteammatespreferMiami,SardiniaandSaint-Tropez.
“Iloveeverythingaboutmycountry.IwillgobacktowhereIgrewuptobewiththepeopleIlove.I’mfromthere,andthereisnoplacewhereIfeelbetter,”hesaid.
ReportingfromCameroon
Commentsto
DATAGervaisYaoKouassi(Gervinho)Bio
BornonMay27,1987,inAnyama(Côted’Ivoire)
Height:
1.79meters
Weight:68kg
CurrentTeam:
HebeiChinaFortuneFootballClub,ChineseSuperLeague
Position:Forward