Hebei aiming high

Hebei China Fortune has made qualifying for the AFC Champoins League its main target for the Chinese Super League season.

The club finished fourth, just two points outside the qualification places for Asia’s premier club competition last term. With experienced Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano on board, it is aiming to go at least one better this year.

“In the 2018 season, the top priority is to win a seat in the AFC Champions League,” said Hebei’s general manager Fu Qiang said last Thursday at a preseason news conference in Wuhan, central China, where the team was training.

“Of course, like all the teams in every season, we aim to win the league title.”

Hebei, which opened its campaign with a 1-1 draw at Tianjin Teda on Saturday, has also given itself some admirable philanthropic targets.

According to Fu, the club is planning to donate all of its jersey advertising revenue in the Chinese FA Cup to charity. Hebei’s shirts will feature the logos of new electric car brand Nezha and car-sharing platform Fun&Cheer.

The Langfang-based team also pledged to continue to support female soccer development and youth training in Hebei province to ensure the sustainable development of the club, with two under-21 players being recruited to the senior side for this season.

Hebei was promoted to the Chinese Super League after finishing second in the China First Division in 2015 under Serbian coach Rodomir Antic.

In 2016, Chilean Manuel Pellegrini took over coaching from Chinese Li Tie and led the club to a seventh-place finish in the CSL.

Last year, Hebei finished fourth, failing again to fulfill Pellegrini’s target of claiming an AFC Champions League berth.