Soccer media personality Yu Jing writes that the 2023 China B League came to a close on October 22, with Yunnan Yukun, which is playing in its first professional league, ending with five consecutive victories and finishing third in this year's China B League. It's already a very good result for the club, which has only been in existence for three years.
More importantly, for the passionate Yunnan fans, they are finally seeing their hometown team on the professional league map for the long haul once again. Today's Yukun is more than just a spark for Yunnan soccer, which has a deep soccer foundation, it's more like a spark that rekindles hope for the future of Yunnan soccer.
Yukun re-carries the flag of Yunnan soccer
Yunnan soccer has always played an important role in the history of Chinese soccer. Many major events of Chinese soccer have happened in Yunnan. Ridge Base, Hongta Base, and Kunming Tuodong Stadium are all filled with many memories of Chinese and Yunnan soccer.
Sadly, however, Yunnan soccer has been far removed from the professional scene in China for some time now. It wasn't until 2023 that a club called Yunnan Yukun filled the void once again. Yunnan Yukun played in their first professional league, finishing third in the 2023 China B League. Although it was only one step away from going straight into the Chinese First Division, as Yukun head coach Li Jinyu said after the season ended:The team worked very hard and we were waiting for a miracle to happen. Everyone is working hard for the last game. Maybe we didn't wait for the best, but we will certainly wait in the near future.
Indeed, as long as you know the determination of Yunnan Yukun Club to do soccer, as long as you see their operation in club construction in the past two years, you will surely believe that it is only a matter of time for Yukun Club to enter the China A, or even to rush into the Chinese Super League. Because, in today's soccer environment, there are not many clubs that are as professional and down-to-earth as Yukon FC.
Two years ago, Yunnan Yukun Steel Football Club was officially established. The club is sponsored by Yunnan Yuxi Yukun Iron & Steel Group Co. The club's goal from that year's Champions League was to return Yunnan soccer to the professional league sequence in the future. in 2022, the team entered the China B League as a Champions League player. Since then, Yukun Football Club has officially taken over the big chess game of Yunnan men's professional soccer and started a new journey.
Yunnan Provincial Football Association Chairman Chang Lin gave a high evaluation to the construction of Yukon Club in the past two years: Yukon Club has been refreshed year by year, shouldering the banner of Yunnan soccer development and becoming the business card of Yunnan soccer. In the future, I hope that Yunnan Yukun can shoulder the expectations of Yunnan people for Yunnan soccer, and open a new chapter in the development of Yunnan soccer.
Fans from all over the country know that Yunnan Yukun
Yukun FC has shown many people in the industry their determination and ambition in club building and team lineup construction as they compete for the Champions League. Many Chinese Super League and Chinese League 1 players are willing to come to Yuxi and revitalize Yunnan soccer with Yukun FC.
Cai Xianping, Chairman of Yunnan Yuxi Yukun Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. said frankly about the experience and gains of the first professional league: the first year of the professional league has given us a lot of things to summarize. We had a preliminary understanding of the operation mode of professional soccer. Through the season, we gained a lot of valuable experience in the construction of teams and clubs and the creation of a home atmosphere. There are also some lessons to be learned. Although it is unfortunate that we didn't qualify directly to wear the first division, we will believe more firmly that we can achieve this goal in the future. We have created a good sports atmosphere for Yunnan fans, Yuxi fans and Yuxi fans.
Although it was only the first year of participation in the professional league, not only Yunnan fans, but also fans from all over the country have learned the name of Yunnan Yukun through media reports and live matches. Due to the attendance of tens of thousands of fans per game, Yunnan is considered the most popular division in China's Second Division.
This season, it was hard to get Yukun tickets for every home game. Not only did every home game become a festival for Yuxi fans, but many fans came to Yuxi from Kunming, Qujing, Honghe and other cities to watch the games. In every home game, enthusiastic fans turned the Yuxi Sports Center into an orange sea. Similarly, in every away game, Yuxi fans wearing orange jerseys fought together with the team.
It's worth mentioning that not only did the China B game attract Yunnan fans, but also during the break between league games, when Yukun went to the Kunming Hongta base to hold an instructional game with Shijiazhuang Kung Fu, the China A team that trains there, hundreds of fans came to watch the game on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and live-streamed it on microblogging and other social media platforms. It's safe to say that fans from all over the country know and are familiar with Yunnan Yukun.
