On February 15, Beijing time, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) officially released a notice on the admission of clubs to the Chinese Super League (CSL), Chinese First Division (CFA) and Chinese Second Division (CSB) for the 2023 season. According to the notice, the teams should submit the access materials before March 5; the teams should send the strongest team to participate in the AFC Champions League, FA Cup and other tournaments, and should not withdraw without reason.
The specific notifications are as follows:
Member associations, professional clubs:
In order to further organize the Chinese Super League, Chinese First League and Chinese Second League matches in the 2023 season, according to the relevant arrangements, we hereby notify you of the following arrangements for the admission of clubs in the 2023 season:
I. Clubs applying for admission
The following clubs are eligible to apply for admission to the appropriate level of the Professional League for the 2023 season:
(1) Clubs that have already participated in the 2022 season of the Chinese Super League, Chinese First Division and Chinese Second Division.
(2) Clubs that have already competed in the 2022 season's Central Champions League Finals and finished in the top four.
II. Timing of access
Clubs should submit their access materials through the access system from February 15, 2023 to March 5, 2023; no late submissions will be accepted.
III. Criteria for access protocols
Clubs applying for access should submit the application materials for access in accordance with the requirements of the documents such as Football Word Separate Application [2017] No. 666 CFA Professional Clubs Access Regulations, Football Word [2018] No. 297 CFA Second Division League Clubs Access Regulations [2019] 2. Circular on the Addition and Adjustment of CFA Professional Clubs' Access Rules.
Some of the adjustments to the above provisions are subject to specific notification by CFA.
IV. Access systems
(1) Access to Super League and League One
Clubs applying for admission to the Chinese Super League (CSL) and the Chinese First Division (CFD) should use the AFC Club Admission Management System (CLAS) and submit all kinds of admission materials by the time points specified in the system.
(2) Secondary B Access
Clubs applying for B-League access should use the CFA information platform and submit their access materials by the time point specified in the system.
V. Submission requirements
(1) The material submission requirements for each admission criteria are subject to the system. Unless the system has special requirements, the materials uploaded by the club must be in PDF format and stamped with the club's official seal, and the materials can be submitted in Chinese.
(2) The Club should give high priority to, and handle in a timely manner, international and domestic cases of overdue accounts payable.
(3) Each club shall upload the Confirmation Form of Full Payment of Players' Wages by the Club for the 2022 Season, the Confirmation Form of Full Payment of Staff's Wages by the Club for the 2022 Season, and the Club's Commitment of No Historical Late Payment of Wages. The above materials will be used as proof that the club has not defaulted on overdue payments for the 2022 Season, the 2021 Season and before.
The CFA will organize club access training in the near future to uniformly explain the revised access rules and issue relevant documents.
Notice is hereby given.
