Ailton joins China's Chongqing
BEIJING - Brazilian Ailton, once the top scorer in the German Bundesliga, has joined Chinese Super League (CSL) side Chongqing Lifan, local media reported on Tuesday.
The striker, who turned 36 on Sunday, made Chongqing his 10th club in five years since his departure from Werder Bremen, where he scored 28 goals in the 2003-4 season and became the first foreigner to win the German Footballer of the Year award.
"I was a bit concerned about his physical condition, but the trial shows he is much better than I thought," the club's Dutch coach Arie Haan told the Chongqing Evening Post.
Ailton has played for German clubs Schalke, SV Hamburg and Duisburg since leaving Bremen and has also had spells in Turkey, Austria, Ukraine and back home in Brazil.
Former China coach Haan took over at Chongqing last month with the task of moving the club off the bottom of the CSL and will be hoping Ailton can help improve their tally of eight goals in 15 games.
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