Chen Anno

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Chen Anno (陈安诺)
Alias(es)	“Little Kaka”; “Super Anno”; “King”; “Alien” 2 50 145 549
Gender	Male
Born	June 4, 1996, Brazil 2
Nationality	Brazilian; of Chinese descent through his father 2 50
Affiliation	São Paulo FC; Borussia Dortmund; Atlético Madrid; Liverpool FC; Brazil national team 4 38 270 436 560
Occupation/Role	Professional footballer; forward and attacking midfielder 71 549
Status	Active 636
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Background / History

Chen Anno was born in Brazil to Chen Fuqing, a Chinese man who had moved there for work in 1993, and his wife. Influenced by his father’s love of football and Brazil’s local football culture, Anno became interested in the sport at age three and entered São Paulo FC’s youth system at seven. 2

His parents later died in a car accident. Before his death, Chen Fuqing entrusted Anno to his younger brother, Chen Shouqing, in China; he also asked his son to one day represent China. 2

While in China, Anno was publicly accused of violently attacking a National Youth Team leader, expelled from the squad, stripped of his registration, and blacklisted by clubs. Chen Xiaolong subsequently released a recording that revealed the accusations had been fabricated, sparking online calls to clear Anno’s name. 2 3

Anno returned to Brazil and rejoined São Paulo FC, where former youth coach Max Vizoli supported his return to professional football. His first-team reappearance at Morumbi Stadium was greeted by supporters who still remembered him as São Paulo’s former golden boy. 4 11

Career

Team / Stage	Key developments
São Paulo FC youth system	Joined at age seven; was regarded alongside Neymar as one of the “São Paulo State Twin Stars” in 2011. 2
São Paulo FC first team	Returned after his time in China, earned recognition from Lucio, and established himself through goals, assists, defensive work, and free-kick scoring. 4 22
Borussia Dortmund	Signed from São Paulo for €30 million on a five-year contract; retained 60% of his image rights and received Dortmund’s No. 10 shirt. Klopp promised him a starting role and development as a future core player. 38
Atlético Madrid	Joined Atlético declaring that he had come to win the championship; quickly integrated under Diego Simeone. 270 273
Liverpool FC	Made his Premier League debut in Liverpool’s opening match against Arsenal and later broke the Premier League single-season scoring record with 36 goals in 23 matches. 436 549
Brazil national team	Wore Brazil’s No. 10 jersey and later became a World Cup champion. 322 560

Records and Honours

Achievement	Details
Audi Cup Golden Boot and Best Player	Scored the winning goal against Manchester City in the final as São Paulo won 1–0. 37
Bundesliga debut record	Became the youngest Bundesliga goalscorer and the first player in league history to score four goals on his debut. 50
Fastest Bundesliga goal	Scored 5.28 seconds after kickoff, breaking the previous 11-second record. 59
Champions League group-stage output	Recorded six goals and two assists in his first three group matches for Borussia Dortmund. 104
Borussia Dortmund season output	Finished a season with 42 league goals, 15 Champions League goals, and two DFB-Pokal goals. 202
Premier League scoring record	Reached 36 league goals in 23 matches, surpassing the previous single-season record. 549

Appearance

Anno is tall and upright, with refined, conventionally handsome features that frequently draw attention from fans, media, and commercial staff. His appearance earned him the early nickname “Little Kaka.” 2 54 321

• Often described as having a clean-cut, youthful presence despite his superstar status. 321
• Borussia Dortmund supporters and media compared his style and elegance on the pitch to Kaká. 54
• Usually presents himself simply in training wear off the pitch, though he can adopt a more playful streetwear style on special occasions. 147 321

Personality

Anno is disciplined, reserved, and highly self-reliant. His exclusion in China and the loss of his parents hardened him rather than breaking him; Vizoli noted that the experience made him mature and steady at an unusually young age. 11

He consistently prioritizes development over comfort or immediate profit. He trained alone during his years in China, rejected nightlife when it interfered with rest and training, demanded meaningful playing time from European clubs, and later resisted lucrative transfer interest in favor of long-term career considerations. 19 27 38 142

Although generally humble and polite with teammates, Anno can be openly defiant when challenged. At his Atlético Madrid presentation, he answered criticism of his confidence by insisting that his path had been smooth because he was strong enough to make it so. 40 41 269

He is deeply protective of the people close to him, particularly his family and partners. He shields Rachel from loud surprises, plans Chen Xiaolong’s future in detail, and credits his second uncle’s family with helping fill the void left by his parents’ deaths. 153 322 551

Abilities & Skills

Dribbling and Ball Control

Anno is an elite close-control dribbler whose changes of direction, stepovers, nutmegs, and acceleration regularly overwhelm multiple defenders.

• Uses quick body feints and outside-foot touches to create separation in tight spaces. 59 472
• Frequently dribbles past goalkeepers rather than shooting immediately when one-on-one. 30 150
• Beat three defenders and the goalkeeper in a Champions League goal for Atlético Madrid. 378
• His technical movement is difficult to predict because, by his own explanation, his feints can become real actions and his real actions can become feints. 472

Finishing and Set Pieces

Anno is a prolific scorer capable of long-range strikes, volleys, free kicks, counterattacking finishes, and rapid shots under pressure.

• Scored a curling free kick praised for its power, angle, and precision against Corinthians. 22
• Recorded a 148 km/h strike while setting the Bundesliga’s fastest-goal record. 59
• Flicked the ball over Arturo Vidal and volleyed past Manuel Neuer in less than two seconds. 560
• Scored four goals on his Borussia Dortmund debut. 50

Passing and Playmaking

Though primarily a scorer, Anno is also a creative passer with strong vision and timing.

• Provided a goal and assist against Arsenal in the Champions League, helping Dortmund win 3–1. 104
• His assist against Croatia was praised for its imagination, vision, technique, and timing. 212
• Can operate as an attacking midfielder and was given unlimited shooting freedom by Klopp in that role. 71

Defensive Contribution

Anno actively tracks back, wins possession, and begins counters rather than remaining solely in advanced areas.

• Intercepted a Corinthians pass before initiating São Paulo’s decisive counterattack. 22
• Dropped into his own half to support São Paulo’s defense and delivered accurate long passes during transitions. 22
• Improved his defensive awareness while at São Paulo, helping the team protect leads. 27

Athleticism and Reactions

His football ability is supported by exceptional explosiveness, flexibility, reactions, and conditioning.

• Coaches praised his coordination, touch, and explosiveness as qualities of a player “born for football.” 12
• Practiced Five Elements Boxing from childhood, which improved his reactions, precision, flexibility, and ability to evade malicious fouls. 135
• Maintains an intense fitness routine, including early-morning core training even after recovering from injury. 375

Leadership

Anno develops from a prodigious young talent into an on-field leader capable of influencing teammates during decisive moments.

• Earned Dortmund teammates’ public “King” tribute after leading them through major performances. 145
• Delivered a halftime speech that inspired Dortmund’s comeback victory over Bayern Munich. 146
• Simeone came to value not only Anno’s footballing ability but also his competitive mentality. 269

Relationships

• Chen Fuqing — Father; introduced Anno to football, supported his childhood dream, and asked him to represent China before his death. 2 309
• Chen Shouqing — Second uncle and guardian after Anno’s parents died; remains a major source of family support. 2 39
• Zhang Mei — Second aunt; treats Anno with strong maternal affection. 322 536
• Chen Xiaolong — Younger relative whom Anno treats as a brother; released evidence to clear Anno’s name and is later guided by Anno toward sports management. 3 322
• Max Vizoli — First mentor and São Paulo youth coach; remained confident in Anno through his disappearance and return. 2 11
• Neymar — Childhood contemporary, close friend, and fellow member of the “São Paulo State Twin Stars”; they remain supportive despite their different lifestyles. 2 27 321
• Wagner Ribery — Agent and trusted adviser; supports Anno’s career decisions, transfer negotiations, endorsements, and daily settlement abroad. 18 38 310
• Jürgen Klopp — Borussia Dortmund coach who promised Anno a starting place and future core role; continues to believe he can reach the top of world football. 38 153
• Aloisio — Former São Paulo teammate and close friend; their farewell reflects a brotherly bond. 39
• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang — Dortmund teammate and attacking partner; initially skeptical but becomes admiring and close to Anno. 41 104 125
• Rachel Cook — Former girlfriend; the relationship ended amicably because of distance and incompatible lifestyles. 133 204
• Nikola Kavanis — Romantic partner, also rendered as “Nicola” or “Nicolas”; their relationship began after their Champions League final date. 209 549 583

Off-Pitch Activities

• Funded the Wanda Annuo Football Academy in his father’s hometown, supporting youth football and carrying forward Chen Fuqing’s dream for Chinese football. 383
• Bought a house for Chen Shouqing’s family near Chen Xiaolong’s school and arranged for Xiaolong to study sports management abroad before joining his business team. 322
• Filmed Huawei Mate 8 advertisements with Hu Ge and Liu Yifei, approaching the multi-day shoot with the same seriousness he applies to football. 321 322
• Co-launched Nike’s AN10 sub-brand, which generated more than €300 million in global sales during its first month. 309
• Signed a lifetime Nike deal, renewed his Porsche partnership, and participated in the Anois hotel project. 583

Notable Quotes

“I didn't come here to go through the motions. I came here for only one reason! The championship!” 270

“Our fake moves contain real ones, and our real moves contain fakes.” 472

“It's been smooth because I'm strong enough!” 269