Guangdong media outlet Xinxin wrote that Guangzhou was expected to fill in and "stay in the league" if the Chinese Super League team withdrew. However, as the Chinese Football Association (CFA) has stated that there is no need to maintain the size of the 18-team league, from a league branding point of view, the CFA does not need to allow relegated teams to be replaced, especially as "not being able to win against five teams in a year" would only affect the quality of the Super League!
Apparently, what the Guangdong media is saying is that the Guangzhou team doesn't want to play in the Chinese Super League, and that it's fine to play in the first division! This is a somewhat bizarre and unusual statement, but perhaps completely understandable in the current climate of Chinese soccer. On the contrary, the survival hope of staying in China A is greatly increased. For the struggling Guangzhou team, returning to the Chinese Super League after a year of playing China A at the trough might be a smarter way to live! (Old Qiu's Chinese Super League soccer commentary)
