BUENOS AIRES, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Argentinean footballer, Javier Mascherano highlighted Wednesday that his new club, China's Hebei Fortune, is at the same level as the best of the world.
"Everything is very different, but I thought it would all be much more complicated," the player said about his adaptation to the Chinese club in the province of Hebei, where he moved after seven successful years playing for Barcelona in Spain.
Mascherano, 33, said that the presence of his compatriot, Ezequiel Lavezzi, and the Chilean coach, Manuel Pellegrini, had made him favor the club and see its potential.
"They have made much of the club and the team far more professional. In terms of planning, training and the quality of services on offer, there is nothing to envy from any club where I have been," he continued.
Mascherano said that Chinese football is "very dynamic, although matches can break down very easily because there is not a lot of experienced training about tactics."
Before moving to Hebei Fortune in January, Mascherano began his career at River Plate in Argentina, before moving to Brazil to play for Corinthians. He moved to Europe in 2006, where he played for West Ham and Liverpool in England before transferring to Barcelona in 2010.
He has had a long career with the Argentinean national team, playing in the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups, as well as winning gold medals at the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
