Érica Hernández, the skill that breaks barriers in the Chinese Super League

After scoring the goal that marked Qingdao Huanghai's first point on their return to First Division, Romain Alessandrini went to the bench to celebrate with Erica Hernandez (Zaragoza, 1980). “That the players value my work makes me happy,” wrote later on social networks the first and only top-class Chinese physiotherapist. After studying INEF and specializing in sports physiotherapy, Érica Hernández joined her life with soccer: she did an internship at the UE Lleida and later worked at the Thai Suphanburi, from where she made the leap to China. “I have always liked football a lot, both watching it and practicing it. That is why it was clear to me that I wanted to work on something related to sports and health,” he reveals from Suzhou, where Qingdao plays all its Chinese Super League matches.

In 2016, Érica joined the coaching staff of Jordi Vinyals at Qingdao Huanghai along with her husband – former international player with Andorra Jordi Escura – where she has already completed four seasons that make her a unique case: “In Thailand there were more girls , a physio and a psychologist I thought that in Asia it would be more common to see women in men's clubs, but in China I was surprised. I'm the only one and that makes me think that I'm lucky. I hope to stop being alone soon. “Her loneliness responds, among other things -” there is a lot of ignorance, insecurities and comfort “- to the archaic Chinese customs: “At first they said that I could not sit on the bench or ride the team bus because it was bad luck.”. Luckily, she remembers with a laugh, “everything was solved and it was an anecdote”: “The players have always treated me like a princess.”

Jordi Escura and Érica Hernández are the only 'survivors' of Jordi Vinyals' stage at Qingdao Huanghai. The couple continued to be in charge of medical services with the arrival on the bench of Juanma Lillo and continues after the landing of Wu Jungui, with whom the Chinese club palliated the unexpected 'no' of Pablo Machín. “The changes cost me a lot, but because I have been very comfortable with all the people I have worked with. In any case, our area has been little affected. We continue working in the same line. We take care of everything you have to do with the health department. Both the diagnosis and the prevention work and the treatments. We have to organize the medical tests of each player, coordinate with the physical trainer … We do everything, well, “says Erica, who has found more than one Chinese surprise box: “They perform techniques that do not have much logic for us, but in oriental medicine they are completely normal. An example is the treatment of angina. The first time I saw it I was amazed. No I could believe it. Through pinching the neck they produce bruises. They say that this way the heat is extracted from within and that helps them heal tonsils. Another is that we have a machine to apply superficial heat and pro I found. They use a hair dryer. They say it works for them too when they want to treat a deep muscle. We were surprised, but since they say it works for them, go ahead. “

Jordi and Érica, a perfect tandem

Erica Hernández has not only made history after becoming the first and only physiotherapist in the Super League. Together with Jordi Escura, former international player with Andorra, the skill forms a very special marriage: the only one who works for the same club in all Chinese professional football. “I do double,” jokes Hernández, who at work sees Escura “as one more partner”: “We make a perfect tandem because we know each other very well and we know what our strengths and weaknesses are. And coincidentally, what he is It is worse for me, it is better for me and vice versa. It has been a fundamental piece in my development as a professional and, the truth, I would continue in this line forever, “he says.