Record-threatening Eran Zahavi on dominating the CSL

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Eran Zahavi has been making headlines on and off the football pitch, with his comments about former Guangzhou Evergrande player Paulinho's transfer to Barcelona, and his own sudden departure from the Israeli national team being of almost as much interest to sports journalists as his prolific goal-scoring since moving to China.

CGTN sat down with the Guangzhou R and F striker to discuss those incidents, as well as his reasons for joining the Chinese Super League (CSL), and what the future might hold.

The 30-year-old has found the net 25 times in 25 matches and is on pace to break the CSL record.

CGTN Photo

He signed for R and F from Maccabi Tel Aviv on June 29 last year, on a two-and-a-half year contract. His transfer cost 6.3 million euros, a paltry sum compared to some of the league’s recent star signings.

"Many players really want to come [to China], but they don't succeed," the player said, "because it's not easy."

Zahavi's tally of 25 is five better than that of Ricardo Goulart, and with five games to go, Zahavi looks set to break Elkeson's record of 28 goals in a campaign set in 2014.

A month ago, Zahavi was in the news for very different reasons after Spanish giants Barcelona plucked Paulinho from the CSL to help fill the shoes of the departed Neymar. The Israeli was reported as saying he would have been a better bet for the Catalan club than the Brazilian.

But Zahavi now claims his words were taken out of context. "The translation was not really good," he told CGTN.

He said that he thought that it was the right move for big-name footballers to play in the CSL, but they should make sure they don’t come just for money, but also to help improve the league. He feels that when Chinese players see the foreigners work hard on the field, they will ask themselves to train more.

CGTN Photo

The forward also got into hot water earlier this month during a World Cup Qualifying match against Macedonia. Angered by booing from the fans in a home defeat, Zahavi threw his captain's armband on the ground, prompting Israel’s football federation to suspend him – indefinitely. He announced his decision to retire from the national team, after 39 appearances.

Zahavi said he put a lot of thought into it, and suggested that the pressure on Israel’s players was too great. "We're not going to win sometimes, we're going to lose," he said of what he feels were unreasonable expectations from fans.

Zahavi has played for two of the fiercest rival clubs in his home country, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv, and talked about how difficult it was to transfer from one side to another. He first played for Hapoel, and then after a stint in Italy chose Maccabi, describing that move as the best of his career.

CGTN Photo

Zahavi was the Israeli Premier League’s top scorer for three consecutive seasons.

After that form followed him to China, his scoring exploits have been noticed by other clubs, as Tianjin Quanjian and SIPG have reportedly shown interest in his services.

But when asked whether playing in Guangzhou R and F is a stepping stone to another team, Zahavi said he is loyal to his current side, although he has also learned that anything can happen in football.

Winning trophies for himself and his team is what excites him, and while he has a passion to get better, he’s only focused on this season at the moment, according to the Israeli.

"When I finish, everything could be like what I want," he said, "then I can see next step."