SEOUL, South Korea — The South Korean soccer league is the most successful in Asia, with its clubs winning a combined total of 10 continental championships, five more than any other country.

韩国首尔——韩国足球联赛是亚洲最成功的联赛，旗下各俱乐部总共赢得过十个洲际冠军，比其他任何国家多出五个以上。

But the last title came in 2012, and a new end-of-season tradition is developing in its place. As soon as the last ball has been kicked, K-League clubs are becoming increasingly accustomed to dealing with wealthy Chinese rivals on the hunt for new players.

不过他们上回夺魁是2012年的事了，而如今该联赛的季末新传统正在成形。踢完最后一脚球，K联赛的俱乐部立刻就得开始和富有的中国对手打交道。这些中国队伍是来寻觅新队员的，而K联赛对此也越来越习以为常。

South Korean clubs are unable to compete financially with their newly rich counterparts in China. Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao, owned by the property developers Evergrande and the founder of Alibaba, one of China’s biggest e-commerce companies, started the spending in 2010. Since then the club has invested over $150 million on players and coaches. The reward has been five consecutive domestic titles and, on Nov. 21, the team, led by 2002 World Cup winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, won its second Asian Champions League title in three years.

韩国的足球俱乐部在财力上无法和中国的新贵匹敌。譬如广州恒大淘宝俱乐部是由地产商恒大与中国最大电商公司阿里巴巴所有的。他们自2010年开始砸下重金，至今在球员与教练上已投入了超过1.5亿美元。投资所得的回报就是该队连续五年囊括国内冠军，而在11月12日，球队在2002年世界杯冠军队教练路易斯·菲利佩·斯科拉里(Luiz Felipe Scolari)率领下，三年内二度荣获亚洲足球俱乐部联赛(Asian Champions League)冠军。

Encouraged by a government that wants to see China start punching its weight after years of underachievement in the global game, other investors have become involved in Chinese teams and are spending big in a bid to catch the dominant Guangzhou franchise. Recruiting from the K-League has proved to be an easy way to start.

在国际足球赛场上失意多年后，中国政府希望自己的球队能开始闯出成绩。在官方鼓励之下，其他投资人也开始涉足中国球队，他们投入巨资，好让自己经营的队伍也能赶上常胜军广州队。自K联赛招兵买马已经证实是个方便的入门之道。

“For Chinese teams, players in South Korea are already proven,” said Lee Eun-ho, spokesman for one of Korea’s leading teams, Suwon Samsung Bluewings. “If they are Korean, there is only a small cultural difference and they can adapt easily and the level of the average K-League player is very good.”

“对中国队伍来说，韩国球员已经证明自己，”韩国顶尖球队水原三星蓝翼的发言人李恩河(Lee Eun-ho)表示。“如果他们又是韩国人，那和中国的文化差异就很小，容易适应。此外K联赛球员的平均水平也很高。”

Chinese clubs can sign a maximum of five foreign players, though one must be Asian. In 2015, of the 15 out of 16 teams that filled their so-called “Asian quota,” eight had South Korean players. Guangzhou has the center back Kim Young-gwon, Shanghai S.I.P.G. signed another central defender in Kim Ju-young and Beijing Guoan has midfielder Ha Dae-sung.

每个中国足球俱乐部最多可签下五名外籍球员，不过其中之一必须是亚洲人。在2015年，中国16个队伍中有15个补满了这所谓的“亚洲配额”，这15队中又有8队的阵容里有韩国籍球员。广州队有中后卫金英权(Kim Young-gwon)，上海上港集团签下了另一个中后卫金周荣(Kim Ju-young)，北京国安则有中场球员河大成(Ha Dae-sung)。

More are set to follow. As soon as the 2015 K-League season finished, newly promoted Yanbian signed young Korean internationals Kim Seung-dae from Pohang Steelers and Yoon Bitgaram from Jeju United.

接下来还会有更多韩籍球员加入这个行列。K联赛的2015赛季才刚结束，刚刚晋级的延边长白山就从浦项制铁(Pohang Steelers)签下了年轻的国际级韩国球员金承大(Kim Seung-dae)，还有来自济州联(Jeju United)的尹光河(Yoon Bit-garam)。

“When it comes to Asian players, Koreans are the best in terms of price, and Chinese clubs can offer them much higher salaries than they were getting before,” said Luo Ming, deputy editor of Titan Sports Weekly in Beijing. “Korean clubs always play well in the Asian Champions League. The Chinese league is more physical than technical, and Korean players have more stamina than Chinese players.”

“就亚洲球员来说，韩国球员的价钱是最划算的，而中国俱乐部开出的薪水比他们之前的要高很多，”《体坛周报》副总编骆明说。“韩国俱乐部在亚洲冠军联赛的表现向来很好。中国联赛对身体素质的要求高于技术，而韩国球员的体力比中国球员好。”

It is not just Koreans. Chinese teams are increasingly buying foreign players who have already succeeded in the K-League. “If they are foreign then they have already shown they can adapt to East Asia and they present much less of a risk for Chinese clubs,” said Lee.

不只是韩国籍球员，在K联赛表现出众的其他外籍球员，也越来越多地被中国球队看上。李恩河表示：“既然他们已证明自己能适应东亚的环境，那对中国俱乐部来说，用这些球员的风险要小得多。”

In the summer of 2015, Hebei, then a second-tier team in China, bid so much money to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors F.C. for its Brazilian striker Eduardo, that the Korean champion was unable to refuse. Here was an Asian soccer powerhouse backed by Hyundai Motors — the conglomerate owners of Korean teams have been reducing financial support in recent years — unable to keep one of its most important players in the face of interest from a second division and almost unheard of Chinese team.

2015年夏天，当时还身处次一级联赛的河北华夏欲购全北现代俱乐部(Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors F.C.)的巴西前锋埃杜(Eduardo)，开出了这个韩国冠军球队无法拒绝的高价。一家有现代汽车(Hyundai Motors)支持的亚洲足球豪门，面对中国次级联赛的一支闻所未闻的球队，居然无法保住本队最重要的球员。近年来，韩国球队的企业集团老板们在削减对球队的资金投入。

Dejan Damjanovic is the record goal scorer in the K-League and was F.C. Seoul’s biggest star in 2013, when he moved to Beijing Guoan. Damjanovic, a member of the Montenegro national team, finished the 2015 season as the third highest goal scorer in the Chinese Super League. Now 34 and interested in a return to Korea, K-League clubs struggled to match even half his salary.

德扬·达米亚诺维奇(Dejan Damjanovic)是K联赛进球纪录保持者，2013年以首尔足球俱乐部(F.C. Seoul)当家球星的身份转会北京国安。这位黑山国家队球员在中超联赛2015赛季射手榜排名第三。如今34岁的他有意回归韩国，但K联赛俱乐部连开出现在的一半的薪水都很勉强。

“To be honest China pays much better, and the chance for me to earn for my family was there, it was my chance,” said Damjanovic. “I still think that Korean players are tougher than the Chinese, and that is the main reason why Korean teams are still competitive with Chinese teams in the Asian Champions League.”

“说实话中国给的薪水更好，要养家糊口得去那里，那是我的机会，”达米亚诺维奇说。“我仍然认为韩国球员比中国球员更强硬，韩国的球队至今在亚冠联赛上可以跟中国有一拼，我认为这是主要原因。”

As yet, Chinese teams have been less interested in Japanese players. “Japan’s attacking players are better than their defenders, but Chinese clubs buy attacking players from South America or Africa.” explained Luo. “Korean defenders are more suitable for Chinese teams.” Luo also pointed out that political relations between the China and Japan make it more difficult.

不过中国球队对日本球员的兴趣就没那么大了。“日本的进攻球员比防守球员好，但中国俱乐部会从南美或非洲买进攻球员，”骆明说。“韩国的防守球员更适合中国球队。”骆明还提到，中日之间的政治关系加大了引进日本球员的难度。

While South Korean fans tend to be dismissive of Chinese soccer — in 30 meetings between the two national teams China has won once — the improving standards in the Chinese Super League mean the move is better both in soccer and financial terms than it once was. The central defender Kim Young-gwon has excelled at Guangzhou and is tipped for a move soon to the big leagues of Europe.

韩国球迷对中国足球往往是不以为然的——两国国家队遭遇过30次，中国只赢了一次——然而随着中超联赛的规格提高，转会无论在足球还是金钱方面都变得更诱人起来。中后卫金英权在广州队表现出众，有人预测他很快会转到欧洲顶级联赛。

Damjanovic believes that in the short term, if Korean teams invest the money they are receiving from China on better foreign players, they will find it easier to win more Asian titles. “Korean players are still the best in Asia, and that is why they are popular with other countries. They are professional and tough. If they can improve their foreign players they will be O.K.”

德扬认为，如果韩国球队能把从中国那里得到的钱用于引入更好的外国球员，短期内应该有望赢得更多亚洲赛事。“韩国球员仍然是亚洲最好的，这就是为什么他们在其他国家很受欢迎。他们够职业，够强硬。如果能提高外援的水平，他们的球队没问题的。”

In the long term, the Samsung Bluewings’ Lee hopes that the growth of China is seen as much as an opportunity as a problem. “It could be good for the K-League. We need to think of another way forward for our game. We have to invest more money in our youth development and produce more and better players. If we can use the money to grow the football market here, it could be good.”

长期上，水原三星的李恩河希望中国的经济增长在成为一个挑战的同时，也能带来机遇。“K联赛是可以受益的。我们需要换一种思维去看待我们的赛事。我们要在青训上有更多的投入，产生更多、更好的球员。如果我们能用钱来培育这里的足球市场，会有很好的效果。”