On December 30, 2021, Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard was defeated by Guangxi Pingguo in the second round of the play-offs of the China First Division League. Goalkeeper Aikramujiang is very lost. Photo/ICphoto
The snow leopard, an endangered big cat, has been called "the barometer of the health of high-altitude ecosystems". The Tianshan Snow Leopard, as the only representative of the third tier of Chinese soccer in Xinjiang, is a matter of life and death.
On February 21, Chinese A team Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard released an announcement (hereinafter referred to as the "proposed withdrawal announcement"), announcing that the club will withdraw from the 2023 season of the professional league.February 28 is the "Snow Leopard" nine years old. The word "proposed" seems to leave room for change, but deputy general manager Zhang Fujun told the Beijing News, "There may be little hope for change."
Witnessed the birth of the Tianshan Snow Leopard Club and grew with it step by step, but Zhang Fujun now personally issued a "proposed withdrawal announcement". "The original plan was to publish a 10th anniversary book when the Snow Leopards turned 10 years old, documenting the people and events of the Snow Leopards over the past 10 years, as well as some of the classic battles, thus documenting the development of Xinjiang soccer." This post-80s Xinjiang man is bloody-minded. "I started preparing three years ago, but I didn't wait 10 years after all."
The fall of 2013 was an extremely critical point for Xinjiang soccer. At the Shenyang National Games, the Xinjiang men's soccer team made a historic run to the semifinals. In complete contrast to the passionate celebrations of the players, the national media focused on a rather heavy follow-up topic: where will these young Xinjiang soccer players who performed so well at the Games go in the future?
Zhang Fujun, who has been following Xinjiang's soccer since 2009, answered the question of why such a focus has arisen. "At that time, there was no professional soccer team in Xinjiang, and Xinjiang soccer only participated in the National Games once every four years. After the tournament, the team was disbanded on the spot and most of the players had to give up their soccer dreams."
One scene that may not have been noticed by too many people is that at the end of Xinjiang's last all-conference game, there is always a player who kneels down and kisses the grass to say goodbye to the stadium.
The Games are the starting point of many Chinese players' soccer dreams. In the case of Beijing Guoan, for example, players such as Yang Pu, Xu Yunlong and Shao Jiayi emerged in the 1997 Eight Games; players from Zhang Xunzhe, Yu Yang and Housen took part in the 11th Games in 2009. However, for Xinjiang soccer players at the time, the Games had become the end of their soccer dreams.
At the time, Zhang Fujun was a reporter for Xinjiang Metropolis Newspaper. he followed the team during the 2013 Shenyang XII Games and covered the whole process. He heard the good news during the Games. The Xinjiang Sports Bureau held a press conference in Shenyang to announce the establishment of a professional club. This initiative ended the helpless phenomenon of Xinjiang players being "unemployed at the Games".
On February 28, 2014, the Xinjiang Football Association received the Hubei Huakel Club to qualify for China's first division; on the same day, the Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard Club was officially established, and the Xinjiang U20 men's soccer team, which finished fourth at the Shenyang National Games, became the club's echelon. This new club changed the life trajectory of too many Xinjiang soccer players, including Zhang Fujun.
At the end of 2016, after two invitations from the club's investors, Zhang Fujun left his former organization where he had worked for 10 years and officially went to work for Tianshan Xuebao on January 2, 2017 as the club's director of publicity and leader of the youth team.In 2019, he took on the role of the club's deputy general manager, a position he holds to this day.
The release of the "proposed withdrawal announcement" should be handled by the club's staff responsible for publicity, but Zhang Fujun insisted on releasing the announcement himself. After the end of the last season, he had carried out the psychological construction of "the club may withdraw" in advance, but after the announcement, his emotional dam still collapsed, with tears in his eyes, looking at the backstage of the WeChat official account fan messages.
That day, Zhang Fujun wrote in his circle of friends, "There is too much reluctance... At this moment, I just want to be quiet, forgive me for not being able to respond to messages and phone calls."
After the "withdrawal announcement", the club's staff is very few, had the opportunity to leave Zhang Fujun chose to stay. "I witnessed the birth of the club, recorded its growth and accompanied it step by step to this day. Even if the final outcome of the club is to withdraw, I still want to accompany it through the last part of its journey, from beginning to end."
Snow Leopard players leap high during the battle between Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard and Nanjing City in the 20th round of the China First Division League on September 11, 2022 in Xinjiang, China. Photo/ICphoto
Since the 2018 season, Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard's journey to the Central League has not been smooth, three seasons in 2018, 2020 and 2021 were relegated due to poor results, but each time because other clubs did not meet the qualifications, investors can not support, three times to regain the opportunity to make up the League. "Benefit" from the general environment of the recession, the outside world jokingly called the club "China A immortal bird".
Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard finished the 2022 season in 19th place in the Central League with 6 wins, 3 draws and 25 losses, and were relegated for the fourth time in five years.
In early February 2023, the CFA and CFL Preparatory Group specified in the Principles and Methods of Supplementary Qualifications for Professional Leagues that sustained relegated clubs would not be allowed to sustain supplementary qualifications, and that supplementary qualifications would be obtained by other clubs in the order of supplementary qualifications.
The first "blow" to Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard in 2022 was the CFA's punishment of "banning newly registered players from this season" in August. The cause of the incident came from a "dispute of will" two years ago. 2020 season, due to the epidemic, the club negotiated with all the players, hoping to tide over the difficulties by reducing their salaries. 3 players and 1 staff member did not agree with the club's salary reduction, and in 2021, they filed an arbitration with the CFA Arbitration Committee. The players won the arbitration, but it is unacceptable for Tianshan Snow Leopard to be called "the only club in Chinese professional soccer that does not owe wages".
Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard's 2022 season is not over after honoring the ruling and paying the fine. Four coaches and 10 players stranded in Urumqi due to the epidemic in the late third stage of the China First Division failed to play in all the matches after October last year as they went home to visit their families during the vacation period.
The difficulties are growing like a snowball. Zhang Fujun has been counting the club and the team afterward. "In the final stage of China A, we had less than 20 players in the division and couldn't even complete an 11-on-11 group confrontation. the 2022 season was the first time we owed wages in the nine years of our club's existence."
Prior to the announcement of the new replenishment principles, investors in Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard had been looking for new investment partners through their social circles. However, China A and China B platforms are not at the same level of attractiveness to potential investors. After Tianshan Snow Leopard confirmed that it could not replenish China A, many potential investors backed out.
Since its inception nine years ago, Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard has been in a high moment. For example, in the 2018 season, the club broke even; for example, in previous seasons, the club even had the ability to "fight the war of riches" - a budget of more than 50 million yuan. But the Chinese professional soccer club itself lacks the ability to create blood, can only rely on the shortcomings of corporate blood transfusion reappeared. Urumqi Juntai Real Estate Co., Ltd. as the club's investment body, in recent years, the business situation is not ideal, resulting in the club's budget has been compressed again and again. 2020 to 2022, the annual operating budget has even been lowered to a minimum of 10 million yuan.
Tianshan Snow Leopard had sought self-help measures, but the stock reforms that began to be pushed through in 2020 have not progressed; last year the club bought the rights and tried to pay for live streaming, which did not work out well. Even under the home-and-away system that existed before the outbreak, the club's operating income from home matches was not enough to cover the stadium rent and security fees.
While the participation fees of Chinese Super League clubs can be deducted from their annual dividends, the participation fees of Chinese First Division clubs need to be paid in advance. In addition, in recent years, the latter have not had a corresponding dividend. "(Accommodation) prices are too hard." Another source related to the Central League club confirmed to the New Beijing News that in previous years, the Central League club did have hundreds of thousands of yuan in dividends, but the fee has disappeared in recent years.
"For three years, the club has not had any income, only expenses, and all the clubs that can participate in the competition are having a hard time," Zhang Fujun said, feeling helpless about the current situation.
Although the local government department allocates 2 million yuan to Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard every year, the money is nothing compared to what the club needs to maintain its operations.
"Hope for survival" is the wish of Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard, investors are still seeking support through social circles. After the release of the "proposed withdrawal announcement", some people contacted the club to understand the situation, but "survival" hope is very small. In a telephone interview with the Beijing News reporter, recently ran around every day to deal with a variety of matters Zhang Fujun voice a little hoarse. "It is difficult to turn around. After all, into the time has been very tight. Now let's deal with some aftermath matters in advance."
