It’s time to say “goodbye 2020”. This year will go into the history books as the year of the covid-19 pandemic. Before January 2020, all was fine and we were doing good in all the leagues (especially the SPL U18-U16). However, disaster struck during the Chinese New Year leading China in a high state of alert. All the schools got closed and any kind of sports activities became forbidden… meaning no more training and no more matches. In the end, only the legends have been able to finish the 2020/2021 veteran league. For the record, Japan FC took the title with a blasting finish.

As for the new season 2020/2021:

• For the senior team, we did make a change over the summer as we decided to rejoin the SIFL league. The concept is simple… combine our experienced seniors with youth players who are the closest becoming “men”. The icing on the cake, playing on Saturday in SIFL will no longer conflict with Sunday league for the legends. On the management side, we are pleased Fehd recently joining the team. Football-wise, we have experienced mixed results in the league. This is completely normal as it takes time to find the right formation and balance.
• For the youth academy (13 to 18 yo), we organized several friendly against other youth teams. As usual, Patrick and Nick are leading the training every Thursday. Last but not least we started a Lions U9 team which is probably the most positive news of the year. They are trained by our own older youth players Jason & YU Xuan (now both playing in the first team).U9 league matches are on Sunday mornings at Qi Yi. It is a joy to watch them play and they are doing very well.

Honestly, it is good to see that the Lions are having a great future going forward in the years to come. Now, we are working towards the next step which is to create a Lions U13 team. If we can achieve this, we will have a complete football club from the youngest (6 yo) to the oldest (over 60 yo)… All of them playing under the Shanghai Lions FC banner!

As every year, we lost players who had to leave China for family or work reasons. Because of covid-19, we also lost players who left China for the CNY holiday but couldn’t come back still… Incredible and it’s really time to say “goodbye 2020”! Luckily, we found new players willing to join us. Looking at the talent of our youth players, our future is looking good.

We’d like to wish everybody a Merry Christmas. Happy, Healthy, and Safe 2021. Last but not the least, “goodbye 2020”!!!

Freek
Shanghai Lions President on behalf of the Lions’ management team

It has been a difficult time as right during the CNY holiday we found ourselves in a situation which none of us expected to happen. When COVID-19 virus broke out China took fast-action closing down all the cities and ordered all the people to stay home. With all the school closed it meant that soccer was no option for us as the fields were closed as well! Life without football was hard and it made you realize how much we missed the weekly training and matches together with your friends from all over the world! Sitting/working at home is not good for your fitness level as you surely move less and tend to eat and drink a bit more. For one week you can laugh about it as we were all in the same boat but after two months it’s no longer a joke and a lot of us found ourselves frustrated at home… However, in the last couple of days, the situation has improved a lot in Shanghai. This is contrary to the situation in the rest of the world as now all sports including soccer are halted across the globe on a scale we have never seen in our lifetimes.

You can imagine how happy we were when the Shanghai Government announced last week that sports facilities could re-open to adults only subject temperature checks and proof of Green QR code. We were quick to take this opportunity and booked a field at Qi Yi sports complex and enjoyed our first match of football last Sunday! With a blue sky and 24 degrees and no pollution, you can imagine we played with smiles on our faces!

Yesterday we had our first training session and although we are all still a bit out of shape we are motivated to get our fitness back!

Couple of more training sessions and we will be ready for our first match post COVID-19 virus!

Happy to be back!

Cheers
Freek

Lions, friends & family. It’s time to say goodbye to 2019 and welcome this happy new year 2020! 2019 was a good year for the Lions as we left some footprints everywhere in Shanghai!

1. Our U16’s started to play very well in the second half of the season as the hard work at the training paid off. First of all our players were fitter and stronger due to Nick’s work out sessions and the tactical two/three touch pieces of training made all players more confidence in the games. Actually, while we were already in mid-June and were done for the season we became Champions as Ebbe Sand our competitor lost their so-called “easy match” against YKFC.
2. Our U18’s started well from the beginning of the season and were Champions for the second year in a row 10 points clear from number two DEQ. We ended the season with a nice BBQ for players and parents and held a match for the fathers vs. the sons the next day at Concordia.
3. Our Seniors did well with the help of some of our U18 players including Noel our youth keeper… We got also a lot of students who played with us for 3 to 6 months. However, the competition was a neck to neck race vs. old rival the Marlins. The last match of the season was to decide the Champion but we lost and ended second! We did participate for the first time in the Chen Yi Cup” organized by the SFA. We enjoyed it but lost our second match in the last minute of playing time. We will join again next year and we will do better.
4. Our Legends had one of their best years ever as they won the SPL V league a strong competition with 10 teams! They also won the Master Cup the over 40’s tournament organized by Super48 and the Santa cup for the first time. In both tournaments, the legends won all their matches and didn’t concede a single goal! The key to the success of the Legends is the commitment of the players to turn up for matches… As a matter of fact, they managed to have almost the same squad week in and week out and play in the same formation most of the time. Well done legends!

The Lions FC is and will always be a club where we rely on the help of our own players to run and manage the club. That’s the beauty of our club and we were very sad when we got to know that Azzeddine made the decision to move to Phuket. Azzeddine’s contribution to the club is hard to express in words but his passion for the sport and the understanding of the game is from a level we can only look up to and we appreciate so much as he showed us the way how to train how to play and how to win!

In the last two years, he has put all his love and energy in the youth teams and all teams improved! Of course, we always hope he will come back one day but for now, we do wish him all the best in the world for his new life in Phuket.

Going forward we are very pleased with Patrick taking over Azzeddine’s role at the youth and senior training. With the great physical sessions of Nick, we have a great team of coaches. Also, it’s nice to see Romain helping out with the senior team and new Lions U18 players making their debut with the senior teams and playing very well! Last but not least I like to thank FL who’s working on the background to keep our website and statistics alive and running! Life nowadays is all about content…. and with 3.5M clicks on our website, we must do something right!

We wish all the Lions and their families in Shanghai or abroad a very healthy, sportive & happy new year 2020! Let’s leave a couple of more footprints in Shanghai this new year! Trust me we are very lucky and fortunate to have this great group of people and players from all over the world keeping the name and reputation of the Shanghai Lions alive and kicking! Once you are back home to your country only then you realize how special it was to play in Shanghai with the Lions whether you are U16 or U18 or Senior or a Legend!

LET’S ALL ENJOY TO BE PART OF THE LIONS FAMILY AND MAKE 2020 ANOTHER GREAT SHANGHAI LIONS YEAR !!

CHEERS & HAPPY NEW YEAR 2020 AGAIN
Freek on behalf of all the Lions in the WORLD!

Are you a goalie and interested to play competitive football in Shanghai? Please come and join us we need goalkeepers for our youth teams and for our senior team!

If you’re interested and/or need more information, please send a message to info@shanghai-lions.com

Cheers
Shanghai Lions Management Team

As the SPL and SFA (Shanghai Football Association) started a cooperation to promote soccer in Shanghai, we are happy to announce that the Lions will join the Chen Yi Cup 2019. Chen Yi was a former famous Mayor of Shanghai. This tournament will have 64 teams competing in a knock out Cup tournament from May until August 2019. If we can be among the 4 best teams, we’ll be able to get a slot into the official China National Super Cup tournament together with the professional teams !

Lets enjoy this new venture and hope we can reach far in the tournament !

Cheers
Freek

Outside of Wrigley Field – Home of the Chicago Cubs

Interview of Joel Zielke

FB: When did you leave China ?
JZ: After 7 years in Shanghai, we left in June 2014.

FB: Where do you live now ?
JZ: We moved back to my hometown of Elmhurst, IL.  It is about 20 miles West of downtown Chicago.  My family is all within 30 minutes of here so it is very nice to get together with my parents, siblings and my nephews on a regular basis.

FB: Still two kids or more in the pipe line ?
JZ: Still two.  Kylee is now 7 and Paxton is 4. They keep us busy.  They have started their soccer careers and it is a lot of fun to watch them play.

FB: What do you miss the most from China ?
JZ: I miss our friends from Concordia and the Lions family!  I always looked forward to game day on Sundays!

Our HS team won the Illinois State Championship in 2015

FB: What do you not miss at all beside the pollution ?
JZ: The traffic and congestion.  It is nice to have some personal space again!

FB: Are you still coaching soccer ? or playing in the USA ?
JZ: I am an Assistant coach for a HS team at Timothy Christian Schools where Trixy teaches and our kids go to school.  I haven’t found time or a good club to play with yet…

FB: Heard you changed your job how is the new job ?
JZ: The new job is great.  I am now selling Real Estate with Berkshire Hathaway.  The flexible schedule allows me to spend more time with my kids.  Let me know when you guys are ready to buy some US property!  

FB: In the Lions you were famous for your power and goal scoring capability ?  What was in your mind the best goal you scored.
JZ: That is a hard one…  I was always proud of all of my goals – especially PKs and headers I scored off of set pieces.  The ones that stick out more than anything are the ones I missed… I remember a free kick I took from about 30 yards out.  I hit it so hard it drilled off the cross bar and flew back over my head!

FB: I remember one game you exceptionally lost it against the referee was it because of the referee or because of you own state of mind ?
JZ: Kevin!!! I am usually pretty level headed.  I must have had enough of getting taken out from behind.  So clearly it was the referee…

FB: Do you remember any specific game you played with the Lions more than the other games ?
JZ: The championship games really stick out in my mind.  It was always fun winning the title and the celebration afterwards.

FB: Did the coach put you on the bench sometimes ?
JZ: My first season as a Lion I didn’t play much.  That was when Brian was still coaching.  We all know he didn’t make the best decisions…  I think I might have been benched once after that.

FB: You woke up bathing in sweat and realized you had a nightmare about the Lions ! What was the nightmare about ?
JZ: We didn’t win the Title!  Thankfully we always did!!!

FB: Usually topscorers of a team tend to be selfish but in your case it’s the opposite how did you manage to score so many goals for the Lions ?
JZ: I have always found it more fun to get everyone involved in the game.  I always had a strong desire to outwork the opponent and win!  I probably could have scored a few more goals but we had so many talented players it was not always necessary. 

FB: How was life without Trump and How is life with Trump ?
JZ: I don’t watch the news and don’t feel any difference in policy on a daily basis.  My biggest concern is with North Korea.  I hope that doesn’t escalate into something horrific!

FB: Have you met any other Lions in the USA since you left ?
JZ: Unfortunately I have not.  The International Champions Cup comes through Chicago every summer.  I am waiting for the Lions to get a spot in the tournament! 

We are thinking about a trip back to Shanghai in the Spring of 2018 or 2019.  Hopefully you can squeeze me on the field for a few minutes!

no images were found

We are writing to express our deep sadness on hearing of the passing of Yohan’s father… Yohan, be assured the thoughts of our entire club are with you and your family at this sad time.

Shanghai Lions Management Team 🙁

Lions,

Last weekend, Azz & Rad had the privilege to play in Dalian a friendly against Chinese Olympic U20 who are preparing for the Tokyo Olympics. Final score was 6-2 for Chinese Olympic Team.

Proud of you boys!!!