Wuhan Zall, Team From Coronavirus Epicenter, Hurtle Towards 'cruel' Relegation

Shanghai, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Oct, 2020 ) :Wuhan Zall are fighting for survival in the Chinese Super League, desperate to avoid a heartbreaking conclusion to a year that began with them stranded outside their coronavirus-scarred city.

The football club from ground zero of the pandemic are embroiled in a relegation dogfight after going eight matches without a victory in the virus-shortened season.

Wuhan, who finished sixth of the 16 clubs last year, have collapsed after a promising start and must now beat Qingdao Huanghai over two legs. The first leg is on Thursday.

If they lose the tie, they will play a nail-biting relegation decider, with the beaten team dropping into China's second division.

The winner could still get relegated, as they must then beat the team that finishes second in the second division to avoid the drop.

Pang Li, who stepped up to become coach when Wuhan suspended Spaniard Jose Gonzalez last month after a run of poor results, called football "a very stressful sport".

"For any player there is a certain amount of pressure, whether they are fighting for the championship or against relegation," he said, after his side lost over two legs to Henan Jianye.

"We will encourage the players to relieve that pressure and play well in the next match."Underlining their problems in attack, Wuhan have picked up former Inter Milan and Newcastle United striker Obafemi Martins -- who turned 36 on Wednesday -- on a free transfer to help fire them to safety.

The Nigerian came off the bench and scored in last week's second-leg 1-1 stalemate with Henan, but they lost the tie 2-1 on aggregate to slide closer to the relegation trapdoor.