Hulk lifts the lid on a dramatic few months in Chinese football

The Brazilian is in China with Shanghai SIPG – and witnessed how the coronavirus brought a halt to normal life there

You’ve been in China for four years – how has that experience been?

Very interesting. I left Brazil at 18, spent three and a half years in Japan, four in Portugal, four in Russia and now four in China. I’ve been in four different places, always enjoying some good moments. I’ve never struggled adapting to a new culture. It’s different to Brazil here, but I’ve learned so many things. I’ve been lucky to end up in an extraordinary city like Shanghai, which helped a lot – and the food is amazing.

Were you still in China when the virus outbreak started in Wuhan?

The first time I heard anything about it was in January, during pre- season. We were in Australia and I saw the Chinese saying there was a problem in Wuhan, but we didn’t have full knowledge back then. It was only when we returned to China that I realised how serious it was. As soon as we arrived at the airport, the club’s staff started to distribute masks, asking us not to remove them and then explaining what the virus was all about.

Did football stop at that point?

We played an Asian Champions League play- off game behind closed doors on January 28, then had three days off and were supposed to travel to South Korea for a match. I was at home when I got a call telling me to pack my bags, as we were going to Australia. At first, I didn’t get it, but the club explained that things were getting out of control in China and we’d make the trip to South Korea that way. But then all the flights to Australia were cancelled, so we went to Dubai for a second pre- season. In the meantime, the match was postponed.

What did you do after that?

SIPG gave us two weeks off, so I visited Brazil to see my children. I witnessed the start of the epidemic in both countries. When I began hearing about the cases, I told my family to keep safe and avoid public gatherings – everything I’d done in China. They were all like, “It’s OK, it’ll soon be over.” I said, “Guys, you have no idea what’s going on here.”

Now you’re back, getting ready for the new Chinese Super League season... Yeah, I can’t wait. Wherever we go now, we have to show a QR code that proves we went into quarantine and everything is fine. It’s the new normal. Disneyland has been open for a while in Shanghai, but we all need to be extra cautious and do what the government tells us. I think they’ve done a great job so far.

You won the Chinese Super League in 2018 – what did that mean to you?

It was so special, of course, but it wasn’t my best season individually in China. I’d produced some fantastic numbers in the previous campaign, yet we lost the title. When we won it the following season, it

was more of a team effort. Everyone did well. It was particularly important as we finally managed to end the dominance of Guangzhou Evergrande, which lasted for seven seasons.

Previously, Sven- Goran Eriksson and Andre Villas- Boas had spells as boss. What were they like?

Sven was a gentleman, very polite and professional. After receiving Shanghai’s offer, I did some homework and asked around about him. All I heard were very positive things, and he’s a top man. The club then decided to appoint Villas- Boas to replace him – I’d already worked with him at Porto and Zenit. Obviously, they were curious to know what he was like, so asked my opinion. He has a winning mentality and encourages his players to improve. We had a great time.

Has Villas- Boas invited you to join him at Marseille in the Champions League? [ Laughs] We’re still in touch and talk, but it’s a difficult situation. He knows I have a contract here until the end of the year, so we haven’t discussed it.

Have you ever had the chance to join a Premier League club?

In my first season at Porto, I started well and remember hearing some talk about Manchester United, but I never received anything concrete on that. At the time, I was too young and left those things for other people to sort out, so I didn’t get to know which offers arrived. Only after I signed for Zenit was I told Chelsea had been interested, but I can’t tell you how serious they were. Naturally it felt a bit strange not hearing any news regarding a potential transfer, because you always see players from the Portuguese league going to teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid, and also the Premier League. I’d been the best player in Portugal in three different seasons, too.

It’s been suggested you might go back to Brazil at the end of the year. Is that a genuine possibility and are you still hoping to play for Palmeiras, the club you support?

The truth is that I don’t know what will happen. I’m 33, I take care of my body and actually feel in better form than five years ago. I would like to return to Brazil some day and play at least one season, because I left too young. I’d only played two games for Vitoria. However, I’ve still got a contract at Shanghai and haven’t yet decided whether I’ll be renewing it for another year. I’ve received enquiries from clubs in Brazil, England and other European countries, but I’m very happy in Shanghai at the moment.