On the 3rd, CFA and CFA Preparatory Group held a meeting on the line of Chinese Super League, Chinese A League and Chinese B League clubs. After the meeting, CFA issued a notice on the work related to the 2022 Chinese Super League, Chinese League A and Chinese League B, announced the list of clubs to be admitted to the three levels of the league in 2022, and announced the solution to the clubs' salary arrears and the relevant penalties.
Xinhua News Agency was informed by the CFA that 18 clubs, 17 clubs and 22 clubs have been vetted through the Chinese Super League, the Chinese League A and the Chinese League B respectively in 2022.
China's first division Guizhou Football Club and China's second division Sichuan Folk Football Club both failed to gain access to the new season. Guizhou FC did not comply with the relevant provisions of the AFC access, i.e., the international wage arrears were not resolved within the deadline, and did not obtain the league access qualification. The Sichuan Folk Football Club did not submit the access related materials within the specified time limit and did not obtain the league access qualification.
Jinan Xingzhou Football Club Co. Ltd, Nantong Haimen Kedeyuan Football Club Co. Ltd, Tai'an Tianyun Football Club Co. Ltd, Hainan Star Professional Football Club Co. Ltd, Wuhan Jiangcheng Football Club Co. Ltd. , participated in the China Champions League last season and gained access to the second league for the new season.
As a next step, the CFA and the CFA Preparatory Group will finalize the teams for all levels of professional leagues based on the participation of the aforementioned Chinese Super League, Chinese League A and Chinese League B clubs.
The focus of the 2022 Professional Football League is on wage arrears by some clubs. In this regard, the Chinese Football Association has taken into consideration the protection of players' interests and the actual situation of clubs, and has issued a plan to resolve wage arrears in batches. We not only resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of players, coaches and club staff and urge clubs to solve the problem of wage arrears as soon as possible, but also consider the actual business situation of clubs and give clubs a certain period of time to solve the problem, so as to promote clubs to raise funds and improve their business situation, and to promote reforms of the local government and all aspects of the society.
In line with the above spirit, some clubs with wage arrears have also been granted access after submitting specific solutions to wage arrears. At the same time, in order to ensure the relevant interests of the players, the Chinese Football Association has formulated a plan for the settlement of wage arrears and the relevant penalties for these clubs.
The CFA requires that all clubs should not have new wage arrears for the 2022 season.Three time points are set for wage arrears for the 2021 season and before: no less than 30% of the total amount of wage arrears to be resolved by July 31, 2022; no less than 70% of the total amount of wage arrears to be resolved by October 31, 2022; and all wage arrears to be resolved by December 31, 2022 Settlement. At the above three time points, the relevant clubs must submit to the CFA the 2021 season arrears of wages repayment forms signed by coaches, players and staff. At the same time, the CFA also clarified the corresponding penalties.
First, clubs that have not completed repayment of no less than 30% of their total wage arrears for the 2021 season and earlier by July 31, 2022, are prohibited from registering new players in the second transfer window of the 2022 season.
Secondly, the penalty for clubs that do not complete repayment of no less than 70% of the total amount of salary arrears for the 2021 season and before by October 31, 2022, is a deduction of 6 league points.
Thirdly, clubs that do not settle all salary arrears by December 31, 2022 will be relegated or disqualified from access.
For CSL clubs that are unable to resolve all wage arrears by December 31, 2022, the clubs must reach a settlement agreement with the wage arrears personnel, sign a confirmation letter with each of the wage arrears personnel, submit it to the CFA for record, and resolve the wage arrears strictly in accordance with the time nodes set out in the filed agreement. If the club fails to resolve the wage arrears issue in accordance with the time point set out in the filing agreement, the penalty shall be implemented with reference to the above penalty.
