Jeremy Dudziak scored on his debut for Beijing Guoan in the AFC Champions League Elite. The former FC St. Pauli player signed one of the most curious contracts of his career this summer, limiting him exclusively to the continental competition.

The 31-year-old started in the 3-1 home win over Pohang Steelers and found the net shortly after the second-half kick-off to seal the final score. He was substituted after 82 minutes to applause. His contract in Beijing runs only until December 31 and permits a maximum of six appearances, as foreign player quotas bar him from domestic league action. "It sounds crazy, but that's how it is," a report noted on the unusual arrangement.

Career path of the former Kiezkicker

Dudziak, who made 94 appearances for FC St. Pauli in his career, was last active for SpVgg Greuther Fürth. In total, he played 58 Bundesliga games for HSV and 28 for Hertha BSC, after beginning his professional career with three outings for Borussia Dortmund. His move to China marks a new chapter.

Next outing in Thailand

His next appearance for Beijing Guoan is scheduled for October 13 in the away match at Buriram United in Thailand. It is the second group stage game in the AFC Champions League Elite, a tournament with two groups of 16 teams. The top eight from each group advance to the knockout phase, with the winner qualifying for the FIFA Club World Cup. Due to his contract expiry, Dudziak can feature in at most six of his team's eight group matches.

While the former Kiezkicker starts his Asian adventure, FC St. Pauli is searching for consistency in the 2. Bundesliga. Fabian Hürzeler's team sits in 9th place with six points from five matches. The record shows one win, three draws, and one loss with a goal difference of 7:7. The next matchday sees the team travel to face 7th-placed Energie Cottbus on September 20. Recent form over the last five games reads WDLLD, following the last 1-0 home win against VfL Wolfsburg. The winning goal in the 88th minute on that occasion was scored by Joel Chima Fujita. The season's top scorer so far is T. Hara with two goals.

First reported at MOPO