With a whistle, Shandong Taishan defeated Hebei by two goals to return to the top of the Chinese Super League after 11 years and lift the long-lost trophy. The glory of Shandong Taishan is the fourth dominant team in the Chinese Super League in the last four seasons, preceded by Shanghai SIPG in 2018, Guangzhou Evergrande in 2019, Jiangsu Suning in 2020, and then Shandong Taishan in 2021. However, no team has been able to defend the title in the last four seasons, and even Guangzhou, once the dominant Asian team, last won the title in 2019.
In 2020, a new crown epidemic swept the world and the Chinese Super League had to change its format, with the knockout system in the final stage sparking much controversy. Jiangsu Suning won the final but could not rejoice for long before announcing its dissolution a few months later, sparking turmoil in the Chinese soccer world. In the face of the future, the direction of Chinese soccer has become an issue that many investment companies are re-examining.
In the aftermath of the epidemic and the economic climate, the investment enterprises of Chinese Super League clubs have generally suffered a shock. The Chinese Super League duo Shandong Taishan and Guangzhou, who led the way at the beginning of the season, were both in first and second place before the second phase began, but the financial crisis of Guangzhou's parent company Evergrande erupted, which had a serious impact on the team. Despite not being disbanded, the departure of Coach Cannavaro and many of the naturalized players has caused Guangzhou to suffer a setback in their quest for the title.
Other Chinese Super League clubs are also facing the plight of salary arrears, the pressure of survival is enormous, and even more teams may be dissolved next season. Perhaps the myths of Guangzhou Evergrande's "seven consecutive titles in the Chinese Super League" and "three years of holding the AFC Champions League" will be difficult to be replicated by other Chinese Super League clubs for some time to come.
Looking back at the history of professional soccer in China, the dominant player in the A-League, Dalian Shide (Wanda), has won a total of seven league titles, followed by Shenhua and Luneng once each. In the Chinese Super League era, Shenzhen Jianlibao won the title in the first year, followed by Shandong Luneng three times in 2006, 2008 and 2010, Changchun Yatai and Beijing Guoan once each, and Dalian's last top-flight title in 2005.
Guangzhou Evergrande ruled Chinese soccer from the 2011-2017 season, creating a dynasty of its own. With the addition of the 2019 league title, Guangzhou's number of top appearances is equal to Dalian's and tied for the first in Chinese professional soccer history. Had it not been for the change to a knockout system in the second half of the 2020 season, Guangzhou Evergrande might have reached the top nine times.
However, with the implementation of the "club share reform" and salary limitation policy, the Chinese Super League may appear in the future the situation of a group of competitors, the gap between the teams may be gradually narrowed, the king of the team may no longer exist.
