Chinese big-spenders Jiangsu Suning crash out in AFC Champions League
Despite goals by star signings Alex Teixeira and Jo, the club are knocked out of regional competition, but Shandong Luneng join Shanghai SIPG as the only Chinese teams to advance to the last 16
Goals from Alex Teixeira and Jo could not save Jiangsu Suning as the Chinese big-spenders crashed out of the AFC Champions League with a 2-2 draw against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on Wednesday.
In their final group E game, Jiangsu’s Asian-record signing Teixeira cancelled out Leonardo’s opener, and former Manchester City striker Jo made it 2-1 to the visitors after half-time.
Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande suffer humiliating first round exit in Champions League
But Lim Jong-eun equalised coolly for Jeonbuk on 68 minutes and it proved vital for the 2006 Asian champions from South Korea, who grabbed the point they needed to reach the last 16.
It was heartbreak for Dan Petrescu’s Jiangsu, who splurged 50 million euros (HK$446 million) on Teixeira and also splashed out on Jo and Chelsea’s Ramires in their bid for glory.
They join reigning champions Guangzhou Evergrande in departing what has been a mixed campaign for Chinese teams, despite a world-leading spending spree on players earlier this year.
However, Shandong Luneng will fly the Chinese flag alongside Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Shanghai SIPG in the last 16 after they rounded off group F with a 0-0 draw against Buriram United.