Time flies, and before you know it, February 2023 is almost half over, and the opening of the new Super League season is basically set for mid-April.
With the confirmation of the opening time of the league, the confirmation of the access qualification of the clubs in the new season of the Chinese Super League has become more and more urgent. Recently, according to well-known domestic soccer media sources, the Football Association stipulated that the access time for clubs in the 2023 season is from February 10 to March 20, and the access qualification system will be officially closed on March 3rd.
That means there is less than a month to go before clubs submit their access certificates. Media sources say that there are still seven Chinese Super League clubs that have failed to pay their players' salaries and bonuses for the 2022 season. If they fail to make up for this arrears on time in accordance with the FA's regulations, the seven Super League teams will lose their eligibility to play in the Super League altogether next month.
As we all know, due to various factors, the Chinese Super League has hit an unprecedented low in the past two years. The league's three-season playing system has deprived clubs of their biggest revenue - home ticket sales and sponsor advertising fees.
In addition, the FA's neutral name policy has made those companies that originally hoped to gain advertising results by naming Chinese Super League teams lose interest in investing in soccer, and has become the last straw that has overwhelmed most Chinese Super League clubs. With the double blow, many clubs are experiencing very serious wage arrears problems.
As a result, Chongqing Two Rivers Athletic officially announced its dissolution at the beginning of last season. Although some other clubs have been persuaded by the FA to participate in the Chinese Super League, their players have no intention of playing and the teams' league results have plummeted. Former Chinese Super League giants Guangzhou and Hebei struggled to win the league and were relegated to the Central League at the end of last season.
While some other Chinese Super League teams have already completed their relegation tasks, their situation is still very bleak. As things stand, Cangzhou Lions, Shenzhen and Guangzhou ranked 13-15 are in a relatively dangerous situation, and they are likely to take the lead as the first three Chinese Super League teams to miss out on the 2023 season.
Once these three teams are not eligible to participate in the new Chinese Super League season, then the Football Association will have to replace the three teams from the Chinese Super League to participate in the Chinese Super League. However, life is also terrible for most Chinese first division clubs right now, and it's good to maintain their current form, so where is the extra money to participate in the CSL?
As a result, the FA is now also considering solutions to save the market, and they may take the lead in liberalizing restrictions on the relocation of domestic professional clubs in the new season. But considering the current situation of the Chinese Super League, I'm afraid not many places are willing to accept clubs from other regions.
From the current situation, only by temporarily abolishing the policy of gender-neutral names for clubs can the major clubs in the domestic third-tier league see a glimmer of vitality. However, Chen Xuyuan, the man at the helm of the Football Association, was a strong supporter and enforcer of the neutral name policy. He only implemented it for more than two years before giving it up. Isn't this tantamount to slapping his own face?
In order to ensure the normal operation of the Chinese Super League, whether Chen Xuyuan is willing to put down his face and deny the neutral name policy and public welfare soccer concept he advocated, let's wait and see
