On the morning of 29th, the Preparatory Group of the China Professional Football Clubs Federation (hereinafter referred to as the Chinese Football Federation) held a press conference in Beijing, announcing the access to the three levels of professional leagues in China (Chinese Super League, China A and China B) for the new season. Among them, Guangzhou City, last season's relegated team in the Chinese Super League, and Kunshan FC, last season's champion in the Chinese A League, failed to pass the admission and will miss this year's Chinese Super League. All indications are that the Chinese Super League, which expanded to 18 teams just a year ago, will go back to 16 teams, and the A and B leagues will start the season with 16 teams.
It is reported that a total of 53 professional soccer clubs applied for access (Hebei team did not submit application materials, Wuhan Changjiang and Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard withdrew), and finally 48 clubs gained access to the 2023 Chinese Football Association Professional League. In terms of the Chinese Super League, Guangzhou City released an official announcement in the afternoon of 29th that due to various factors, the club was unable to pass the access to the Chinese Super League for the 2023 season, and the club's teams at all levels will suspend operations from now on.
Formerly known as Guangzhou R&F, Guangzhou's best finish was third place in the Chinese Super League and participated in the AFC Champions League. He brought in famous coaches and big-name foreigners such as Eriksson, Xavi and Hammad. Kunshan FC, formerly known as Zhenjiang Huasa, won the Central League title last year, but again, due to equity issues, will not be able to win the Chinese Super League this year.
China's professional soccer has achieved some success in cleaning up its "debt" through this rigorous access review. In the first and second clubs, failed to pass the admission of Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic, Zibo Cuju, Beijing North Sports University will not be in the new season of the professional league. So far, this year, eight teams have bid farewell to the Chinese soccer professional league.
On the 29th, two other pieces of news related to Chinese soccer also raised concerns. In the morning of that day, the National Commission for Discipline Inspection in the General Administration of Sport announced that Yu Hongchen, chairman of the Chinese Athletics Association and former vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association, was suspected of serious disciplinary violations and was under review and investigation; Dong Zheng, former general manager of the Chinese Super League Limited Liability Company, was suspected of serious violations and was under supervisory investigation. The two men are the seventh and eighth people involved in soccer to be investigated in the past six months, following Li Tie, Chen Yongliang, Liu Yi, Chen Xuyuan, Huang Song and Wang Xiaoping.
The new season of the Chinese Super League is scheduled to start on April 15, fully restored home and away match system. It is reported that the registration transfer window for the new season will close on April 7th. (Ma Dexing)
