Beijing, January 13th Express, with Qingdao defeated Zhejiang in the play-offs, unfortunately relegated to the
Peninsula Metropolis Daily News
With three "most" headlines, Qingdao's season performance was deeply summarized, and deep worries were expressed about the future prospects.
"The strongest squad" - but can't stop relegation
For Qingdao, the only way to turn the tide in the second round is to win. For this reason, they sent out the strongest team they could assemble at the moment. However, this lineup came too late to save the day, and the team was relegated to the Central League. Foreigners Vukovic and Alessandrini, who had been absent due to injury, made their debut in the match. Despite the strength of Qingdao's strongest lineup, they were unable to change the score at the last minute, and the two teams drew 0:0 in the second round. As a result, Qingdao was relegated to the second round of the play-offs with a 0-1 defeat.
"Most Regrettable" - No hope of a home debut in the Chinese Super League
For Qingdao fans, there is nothing more regrettable than the fact that in the two seasons following the team's success in the Super League, the team has been unable to return to their home stadium due to the impact of the epidemic, which means that they have not yet witnessed the "Qingdao" team play in the top flight at their own doorstep. This means that before Qingdao fans could witness the team's performance in the top league at their own doorstep, they were back in the Central League again. This is a deep sadness for Qingdao fans.
"Most Uncertain" - Where is the team headed in the future?
More worrying than relegation is the future fate of Qingdao. This season, the team has experienced multiple tests such as unpaid wages, head coach resignation, and a wave of injuries, and it was not until the last game that the team's two most important foreign aiders, Vukovic and Alessandro Delini, made their debut at the same time. As "second-year students" in the Chinese Super League, they have not been able to adjust to the best state throughout the season. According to acting head coach Yang Weijian, Qingdao's goal for next season is to return to the Super League. However, whether this team can get out of the current predicament is still unknown. There are already two Qingdao teams, Qingdao Hainiu and Qingdao Qingdao, and even in the Central League, Qingdao's advantage is not obvious.
