With the Chinese Football Association (CFA) unveiling the entry list of clubs for the new season, the grouping pattern of the new Chinese Super League season is also becoming clearer. As the defending champions Jiangsu will not be included in this year's tournament, the Cangzhou Lions will be included in Group A (Guangzhou) in accordance with the regulations. The new Chinese Super League season is expected to kick off on April 20 in Guangzhou. The first match is likely to be played by last season's runner-up Guangzhou and Cangzhou Lions. The new season will be divided into three stages of implementation of the Chinese Super League, the first stage due to the national team to participate in the 40 strong match will be carried out in phases, the whole season may be as early as December 1, the curtain fell.
Cangzhou Lions successfully promoted to the Super League, the new season of the Super League group situation in accordance with the "serpentine arrangement" principle has been basically determined. Accordingly, Guangzhou, Shandong Taishan, Chongqing, Henan Songshan Longmen, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, Shenzhen, Qingdao, Cangzhou Lions will be divided into Group A; Beijing Guoan, Shanghai Seaport, Shanghai Shenhua, Hebei, Guangzhou City, Dalian People's Team, Wuhan, Changchun Yatai will be divided into Group B. A, B two groups of the first phase of the tournament will be arranged respectively in Guangzhou, Suzhou, the two regions. Comparatively speaking, the competition in Group B, which brings together strong teams such as Guoan, Harbor and Shenhua, may be more intense.
The 2021 season of the Chinese Super League is divided into three stages as planned. Unlike last season, which was reduced to 20 rounds, the new season will complete 30 rounds of matches, with the final champion being decided through a round-robin of points. A total of 14 rounds will be played in the first phase of the league. The second and third phases will consist of eight rounds each. The second and third phases may resume the home-and-away system according to the actual situation, such as epidemic prevention and control, while the first phase will continue to use the tournament system.
According to the program developed by the professional league preparatory group competition department, the first phase of the Super League after 14 rounds of the end of the first stage, the top four groups and another group of the last four will be cross-grouping, and then a double round-robin tournament system within the group. Teams that have played each other in the first stage will not meet again in the second stage; after the eight rounds of the second stage of the tournament, the top four of each group will be re-divided into the same group for a double round-robin tournament, and teams that have played each other in the first stage will not meet again.
There are no relegation places in the 2021 season of the Chinese Super League. The teams in the last two places will play a two-round relegation playoff against the 3rd/4th place teams in this season's Central League, with the winners qualifying for the 2022 season of the Chinese Super League.
The schedule for each stage of the new Premier League season is as follows:
Phase 1 (Rounds 1-5): April 20-May 17 (before the Top 40)
Phase I (Rounds 6-14): June 21-August 5 (after the Top 40)
Phase II (Rounds 15-22): August 21-September 29
