Preview of the new Chinese Super League season
Wuhan Evening News exclusive report (Reporter: Ma Wanyong) -- April 1, 2021 China Football Professional League Clubs Summit was held in the magic city of Shanghai, where the opening schedule of the new season of the Chinese Super League and the first phase of the grouping was unveiled. Wuhan, a team that has attracted much attention, will once again set foot in the familiar "Gusu District" to start the new season.
Looking back on the 2020 season, the Chinese Super League, which was originally scheduled to start in March, was forced to suspend completely due to the impact of the new crown epidemic, and only restarted on July 25th, with the Women's Super League, the Chinese First Division, and the Chinese Second Division returning one after the other. It is worth mentioning that, in the face of adversity, from the city of heroes Wuhan soccer fighters fought bravely, and finally Wuhan Zall successfully relegated, Wuhan Chegu Jiangda women's soccer team in the Women's Premier League to win the title. Wuhan Three Town, on the other hand, only ushered in the final battle in October, eventually winning the Chinese B Championship and successfully qualifying for the Chinese A League.
The Chinese Super League has always been the focus of fans' attention. Under the special system, Wuhan Zall experienced a lot of trials and tribulations last season. Despite their outstanding performance in the first phase of the competition, the results of the first phase were not counted in the subsequent matches due to the tournament system plus elimination matches. In the end, Wuhan Zall became the last relegated team in the Chinese Super League last season after battling Henan Jianye, Qingdao Yellow Sea, Shijiazhuang Yongchang, and a life-and-death match with the second-place finisher of the Chinese League One, Zhejiang Greentown, to survive relegation.
In the new season, Wuhan Zall changed its name to Wuhan and successfully passed the admission to the Chinese Super League on March 29, and ranked 14th in the Chinese Super League according to last season's ranking. According to the ranking order as the criteria for the first stage of grouping, Wuhan was divided into Group B, with Beijing Guoan, Shanghai Harbor, Shanghai Shenhua, Hebei, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, Dalian People's Republic of China and Changchun Yatai in the same group. Among them, Beijing Guoan, Shanghai Harbor, Hebei, and Tianjin Jinmen Tiger had direct meetings with Wuhan last season, while the other three teams have not met.
It is reported that Group B teams were placed in Gusu, which hosted a Chinese Super League match last season, while Group A teams were placed in a new region - Guangzhou.Group A teams include Guangzhou, Shandong Taishan, Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic, Henan Songshan Longmen, Guangzhou City, Shenzhen, Qingdao, and Cangzhou Lions.
In addition to the groupings, it was also announced at the meeting that the start of the 2021 Chinese Super League will be April 20, and the system will revert to the regular league system, with 16 teams playing 30 rounds of league matches. In addition, the relegation rules have also been adjusted, there is no direct relegation quota in the new season of the Chinese Super League, the 15th and 16th teams in the league will play a play-off with the 3rd and 4th teams in the Central League, and the winner will enter the Chinese Super League.
