There are soccer leagues all over the world, but for many players, the Premier League is among the best. It's full of history, has produced tons of legends, and has some of the most raucous fan environments around. Oscar dos Santos Emboaba Júnior got a taste of the Premier League early in his career. In 2012, he signed a five-year deal worth north of $31 million with Chelsea F.C. when he was only 21 years old.
That was a massive deal at the time, and Oscar had a lot of early club success. Chelsea won the UEFA Europa League in 2012-13 and the Premier League and League Cup during the 2014-15 season. He racked up 21 goals over 131 appearances with Chelsea.
It looked like Oscar might stick around in the Premier League for years to come. Then, with about half a year left on his five-year contract, Oscar accepted a contract with Shanghai SIPG (now Shanghai Port) of the Chinese Super League.
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If you're scratching your head and wondering why a player would leave Chelsea, one of the most popular clubs in the world, for a relatively anonymous stint in China, you're not alone.
Multiple players and coaches expressed their dismay at Oscar's decision. Former soccer player Jamie Carragher said it was "shameful for a player to turn their back on their career and the chance to compete purely for money." Antonio Conte, who was managing Chelsea at the time, said, "Passion should come before money."
Yet Oscar remained steadfast in his decision. He responded to the criticism with a very candid message: "China has incredible financial power and sometimes makes offers that players simply can't refuse. I come from a very poor social background in Brazil. We had nothing. This is the fruit of my hard work."
Oscar could have gotten a sizable contract from Chelsea, but he had the chance to earn even more in China while also becoming a star in the country. That was a trade he thought was worthwhile.
Oscar's first contract with Shanghai SIPG was worth a reported $400,000 per week, making him one of the highest-paid players in the world. And then, he made a brilliant decision in December 2019. He restructured his contract to be worth an additional $25 million+ per year over five years.
This restructuring happened a month before the Chinese government imposed salary restrictions for foreign players. The most they could make was about $3 million annually, but Oscar had gotten in with his significantly larger deal before this rule change.
On Christmas Day, Oscar announced a return to his home country. He's joining São Paulo, where he began his career over two decades ago.
His total earnings from seven years in China? About $182 million. That's approximately six times as much as he made with Chelsea. And Oscar put up great numbers, too. He had 77 goals during his time in China, winning two China Super League titles.
Now, Oscar gets to return home with a huge amount of money for himself and his family. That's a special kind of glory.
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