Chinese fans were shocked when soccer star Gabriel Batistuta announced his retirement and Chinese media surged to praise Argentina's all-time scorer on Tuesday, yet with a touch of sadness and nostalgia.

The 36-year-old striker has won over countless Chinese fans with his loyalty, thunderous finishes and good looks.

In China, fans prefer to call him "Bati" as most foreign counterparts do and his lack of trophies in his 17-year career can not dent their love for him.

"The day finally came when Bati, a great warrior and a legend, bade farewell to soccer," Peng Aihua, a self-claimed avid fan of Argentine soccer, wrote on the Chinese website Sina.com.

Another fan who named himself Zhuang's Fish said it was Bati who made him fall in love with soccer.

"When this man left, my first love for soccer was gone too," he said on the website.

"In China, Bati has earned so much respect from fans that we call him 'Lord of War'. I don't think any other player of younger generations can be so much respected like him," the fan wrote.

"Those youngsters nowadays are too commercialized to have characters we cherished in Bati," the fan said of the scandal-free soccer star.

Batistuta made his professional debut with Newell Old Boys in 1989. He also spent six months with River Plate before moving to Boca Juniors, becoming one of the few players to play for the two bitter Buenos Aires rivals.

He joined Italy's Fiorentina in 1991 and spent nine seasons there, including one in the second division after he preferred to help the club back to the top flight rather than move elsewhere.

Batistuta joined AS Roma in 2000 in pursuit for an Serie A trophy and he realized his dream in that season.

When he returned to Fiorentina in Roma outfit on November 27, 2000, he struck the only goal in that match and wept.

"Maybe Bati is not the best ever player but he is absolutely a successful man," commented Beijing Daily Messenger.

"His loyalty, both to his career and his family, made him one of the most successful players," the article said.

"He will always be Argentina's No. 9, who is shouting and waving in celebration for goals," said Beijing Morning News.

Batistuta had a brief spell with Inter Milan in 2003 before leaving for Al Arabi, where he announced his retirement Monday in a statement sent to Argentine media from Qatar.

He was the leading scorer of Argentina's national team with 56 goals in 78 international matches. He played in the 1994, 1998 and 2002 World Cup finals, his last international goal coming in the 1-0 win over Nigeria in the 2002 World Cup finals.

Source: Xinhua