Paartalu’s Tianjin Teda and Shanghai Shenhua were slapped with hefty fines and docked six points for separate incidents dating back to 2003.

With a heavy dose of irony the Aussie described the club’s opening match at home as a “real six-pointer” as both teams fight to claw back the deficit and get back to level-pegging.

For the defensive midfielder it’s a frustrating start to the campaign but the message from former Costa Rican international and head coach, Alexandre Guimaraes, is to stay positive.

The Tianjin tigers climbed to eighth last season and a top four finish and the opportunity for Asian Champions League football beckons.

“It’s disappointing because it’s something that happened 10 years ago,” Paartalu said of the penalty dished out to the club.

“But we talked about it when (the points were docked) and just said that we need to get on with it.

“It would be great to get two wins in the first games and get it out of the way. But this is one of the big topics at the moment in the world and obviously they’ve come down hard.

“We’re lucky it’s not more points to be honest with you – it could have been a lot worse. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed and try and get back to zero as quickly as possible.”

It’s been a whirlwind of airports, hotels and new experiences for the player since he left the defending champs last month.

An intensive training camp in Kunming, southwest China, was followed by a washed-out camp in Greece and now 10 days in the Mediterranean city of Antalya on the Turkish Riviera ahead of the season launch.

Guimaraes issuing instructions in English has eased the transition for the towering midfielder who is impressed with the quality of the team Tianjin has assembled.

After several seasons as a leader on and off the park he is learning to adapt to a lower profile within the squad and a more defensive role.

Talking to good mate and former Roar and Tianjin player, Milan Susak, convinced him this was the place to develop his game.

“It’s different everywhere you go and every coach has their own ideas,” Paartalu said. “I sense that my positioning will be quite defensive. I’m still going to play my defensive midfield role but there seems to be a lot of covering for the two central defenders.

“So it’s a different role to what I was used to in Brisbane where I was more of a playmaker and starting off the plays. That’s obviously going to challenge me and make me a better player.”

Paartalu,  a virtual unknown in Australia before he was plucked from the Scottish first division club Greenock Morton in 2010, was a revelation under the deft guidance of former Roar tactician Ange Postecoglou -  breaking down attacks, building play and scoring the occasional spectacular goal.

He was a key figure in Brisbane’s back-to-back championship haul and secured his place in the pantheon of Roar greats with a 120th-minute equaliser that took the 2010-11 grand final to penalties.

But talking about the club where he spent two-and-a-half years doesn’t come easily and even watching his former teammates struggle to make the top six play-offs is a bridge too far.

“It’s hard to watch because obviously I’m still emotionally attached to the club,” he said. “But I certainly look out for results online and I still keep in contact from time to time with a few of the boys.

“It’s hard because I know a part of me wishes I was there helping the team out. I could’ve streamed the games but I’ve just been looking out for results – it’s easier for me to do that. I certainly hope that the boys can get to the finals – I think they can.”

At 26 he still has plenty of time to return to the A-League but it certainly doesn’t feature in his immediate plans. He has a two- year deal with Tianjin with a one-year option and is keen to squeeze every ounce of opportunity out of his footballing career.

And making the most of every minute has been on his mind ever since Roar mentor, Ange Postecoglou, left the defending champs for Melbourne Victory.

“I said to myself, certainly after Ange left, that I wanted to try and test myself overseas and that’s how I envision my next four to five years,” he said.

“If I could stay at the one club then great but if I can’t then I want to get the most out of my experiences as a footballer.