Originally discovered as a tall, talented striker while playing for one of China’s top clubs Beijing Guoan, Chen played in Germany from 1998-2003. He started on a loan with Waldhof Mannheim before signing with Eintracht Frankfurt prior to the 1998 season. He played nearly 100 games in Frankfurt before spending his final year in Bundesliga 2. with FC St. Pauli. In 2002, Chen played for his national team at the 2002 World Cup, the first and only appearance for China at the World Cup.
As part of his visit for the day, Chen explored the club’s facilities and met with Shen Menglu, the Chinese international currently playing for Bayer 04’s women’s team.
Together, Chen and Shen toured the BayArena, where they discussed their experiences as Chinese professionals in German football and exchanged thoughts on the evolution of the pro game in their home country. They also took part in a lighthearted kick-around in the stadium, visited the press and matchday areas before a stop at Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion next door, where Shen plays her games with the Bayer 04 Women.
The visit concluded at the Bayer 04 Fanwelt, where Chen viewed club memorabilia and the recent 2024 trophies. As a gesture of friendship, Shen presented Chen with a personalized Bayer 04 jersey. Two signed jerseys from both players will be given away via Chen’s Douyin account, promoting Bayer 04 and the Bundesliga to Chinese sports fans.
“We had the great honor of visiting the stadium and the locker rooms and we hope that through this experience, Bayer Leverkusen’s tradition and culture can be shared even more with Chinese fans,” said Chen. “I sincerely hope that the collaboration between Bayer Leverkusen, China, and Chinese football fans continues to grow stronger and more diverse.”
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