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12/23/2024 02:19:11 am

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Chinese Super League News: Retired footballer Christian Vieri plans comeback at age 43, mulls China move

Italian striker Christian Vieri

(Photo : Getty Images) Retired football player Christian Vieri is reportedly intending a comeback to the sport at age 43 and particularly considering a move to the Chinese Super League.

Retired football player Christian Vieri is intending a comeback to the sport at age 43 and is particularly considering a move to the Chinese Super League, recent reports said.

It was uncertain, though, how the former Italy national team striker will pull off his plans since the CSL summer transfer window is already closed while the next one is set on January of next year.

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BBC Sport indicated that Vieri is "planning to come out of retirement aged 43 to play in the Chinese Super League", according to the video he recently posted in his social media account while out on a jog. The Instagram post had the caption "Bobo is back... going to play in China", using all uppercase letters.

"Good morning everyone. At more or less 8:30 am, there's huge news on the Formentera broadcast: Bobo is back, I've decided to go play in China," he said in the video, translated from Italian, as reported by ESPN.

"Five months ago I weighed 101kg, now I'm at 91kg, I've lost 10. I must drop another two, reach 89kg and I'm ready. Have a nice day," he ended

Vieri last played in the 2008-2009 season, suiting up for Serie A squad Atalanta BC and appearing in only nine games, scoring twice, during the said term. He officially retired in October of 2009 at age 36.

Seven years later, the 6-foot-1 Bologna, Italy native, who is considered as one of the toughest and strongest strikers in the sport, expressed that he wanted to come back and play professionally, but this time in the Far East nation of China.

Vieri was once the world's most expensive football player after he transferred from Lazio to Inter in 1999 for a then record fee of £32.1 million.

Rumors abound that the reason why Vieri wants to return to the pitch is he is going bankrupt, but there are no substantial evidence to prove those speculations. He is running his own business nowadays, a fashion label with a fellow retired Italian footballer Paolo Maldini.

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