Open Letter from Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic Players
In the midst of today's clamor, Feng Jin, a player on the Chongqing Two Rivers Athletic Team, stood up and sent a heartfelt open letter to the entire community.
The letter reads:
Honorable leaders and friends from all walks of life:
Taking time out of our busy schedules to read this letter and listen to us is deeply appreciated.
I'm sure you've heard about the unpaid wages our team is facing.
Over the past three years, we have been suffering from unpaid wages, and up to now, the longest wage arrears have reached 16 months. Faced with more than a year's salary arrears, most of the team members have found it difficult to make ends meet and have to engage in delivery and dropshipping after work, or even swipe credit cards or take out loans to make ends meet.
Leaving the passionate stadium, we become ordinary members of society, both as children and parents. As the breadwinners of the family, we working class people also need to live.
This year marks our eighth consecutive year of playing in the Super League since our success in 2014. Despite being plagued by wage arrears since 2019, we have never given up hope for life and the pursuit of excellence.In the 2020 season, we recorded our best-ever record, finishing sixth in the league. However, this did not lead to any improvement. 2021 season, we were relegated in the midst of a full year of salary arrears, and at that moment, we shed tears of excitement, not only because of the success of the relegation, but also because we honored the promise we made to all of us in the face of adversity, and kept Chongqing soccer in the Chinese Super League. Perseverance, never give up, we are fighting with the Chongqing spirit!
From 2019 to today, we have been in the predicament of salary arrears, silently and with all our might, in return for verbal promises that could not be fulfilled time and time again. In order to ensure that the team can enter the division on time and fulfill the league goal, we are always called for meetings at critical moments of the league, promising that the wage arrears issue will be resolved. With deep emotion for Chongqing and this team, we hoped that the team could get better and better, and that we could tide over the difficulties together with the club. Therefore, at the beginning of each round of the league, we entered the playing area on time and successfully completed the league, which reflected our respect for the rules of the Chinese Super League, our love for Chongqing soccer and our sense of responsibility to this city. However, in the end, what we got in return was persistent unpaid wages and no one asking for help.
We can afford the city of Chongqing! We can also stand up to the majority of fans in Chongqing!
As the 2022 season approaches, we and Chongqing soccer are once again standing at a critical juncture. We don't want to disappoint the people of Chongqing, and we don't want to let the flame of Chongqing soccer go out in our hands. Therefore, we implore the Chongqing community to give us their support, we really love this team!
Recently, the players of Chongqing Two Rivers Athletic have gone on strike due to salary arrears, and the team may not be able to enter the tournament before the start of the season if the issue of salary arrears is not resolved.
