On March 29th, Beijing time, the Chinese National Football Association officially unveiled the list of teams admitted to the third level of professional league, in which Nanjing City Football Club was honored to be on top of the list of the Central League. Founded in 2014 as Nanjing Fengfan, the team has achieved a "three-stage jump" to the professional league in just three years.
In 2019, Nanjing Fengfan won the top spot in the Chinese National Football Association Members' Association Championship League (CCAA Champions League) and was successfully promoted to the CCAA B League.
Since 2014, Nanjing Fengfan Soccer Salon has been engaged in Nanjing City League, Jiangsu City Amateur Soccer League and Nanjing Soccer Association Super League as an amateur team.
In 2019, the team won the Members' Association Champions League Finals division with an impressive seven wins, topping the North Division with a perfect score of 21 points, earning them preferential admission to the C.B. League.
Maple Sail defeated Shenzhen Pok Gang 5-3 in the championship final of the Central Championship League that year, advancing to the second division of the league the following year as the champion of the Central Championship, officially becoming a part of the professional league.
In 2020, Nanjing Fengfan fought their way to the top of the Second Division, just one step away from touching the threshold of the Central League.
In the 2020 season, Nanjing Fengfan set out to make an impact on the Central League A in their first season in the Central League B. The team was awarded the title of "The Best Team of the Year" in the Central League. A total of 21 teams competed in that season, divided into two divisions for a single round-robin tournament, with the top two teams from each division advancing to the second phase of the knockout round, and the final first and second place teams advancing to the next season's Central League.
In Group a Luxi, Nanjing Fengfan boasted an undefeated record of 8 wins and 1 draw, advancing to the quarterfinals.
Unfortunately, in the semi-final, Nanjing Fengfan team with a total score of 0:2 defeated Zibo Cuju team, and finally failed to rank among the top two in the league, the impact of the dream of the Central League A dashed. Nevertheless, the team's strong strength in the Central B League is still impressive.
In 2021, the team changed its name to "Nanjing City" and successfully entered the Central League by replacement.
On January 17, 2021, Nanjing Fengfan Football Salon officially changed its name to Nanjing City Football Club.
In the official announcement of the name change, the club said: "Through thick and thin, we have tasted the sweetness of victory and felt the bitterness of defeat, but our love for soccer has never diminished. Now, we will be in the name of the city of Nanjing, not forgetting the original intention, to fight for more honors for Nanjing, to promote the development of Nanjing soccer and Chinese soccer to contribute more power.
Thank you to the municipal government, the Municipal Sports Bureau, the Municipal Football Association and other relevant departments for their constant attention and support! Thank you for the company of our fans and friends! The spirit of Nanjing that we have gathered will always flow in the blood of this team. City Light, Blue Dream, the club is actively preparing for the new season, towards a higher goal to move forward. Let's work hand in hand, cheer for Nanjing and fight for the city!"
On March 29, 2021, Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard, Nanjing City & Beijing Institute of Technology were substituted into the Central League A as the Cangzhou Lions of the Central League A were substituted into the Chinese Super League, and Taizhou Yuanda, Inner Mongolia Zhongyou, and Beijing Renhe, who were relegated to the Central League B last season, withdrew.
