Reporter Jia Yanfeng disclosed that the Zhejiang team, which won the third place in last season's Chinese Super League, may miss this year's AFC Champions League qualifying round for some reason. The AFC has expressed serious concern over the Zhejiang team's failure to prepare the stadium in advance, and has even explored the possibility of withdrawing from the competition. It is reported that the Zhejiang team has not received any investment from shareholders since the start of the Chinese Super League season, and has been struggling to find a solution despite actively seeking one. The lack of funds has been a key factor in the team's withdrawal from the AFC Champions League.
Meanwhile, Greentown Group and Zhejiang Energy have stalled on stock reform. Although the existing funds can maintain the operation of the Zhejiang Super League, to participate in the Champions League, Zhejiang will need to bear additional costs such as venue renovation. The original Greentown Group wanted to share the costs with Zhejiang Energy, but the two sides failed to reach an agreement on stock reform and both refused to invest. Nonetheless, Zhejiang fans remain steadfast in their support of the team's participation in the AFC Champions League qualifying rounds, and some media outlets have even claimed that fans are willing to crowdfund to keep the team qualified for the Champions League. After all, this is a valuable opportunity for Zhejiang to return to the AFC Champions League group stage after 12 years. According to the schedule, the Zhejiang team will have an AFC Champions League qualification showdown on August 22nd with Taikang.
Domestic soccer celebrity journalist Miao Yuan said on his personal microblog that Zhejiang could face heavy fines from the AFC if they withdraw from the AFC Champions League qualifying round. Miao Yuan believes that there is no need to put additional pressure on the Asian Champions League for Zhejiang's plight. For clubs, survival is the priority. Fans don't want to see the Chinese Super League team withdraw from the AFC Champions League due to financial problems, which is detrimental to the image of Chinese soccer in Asia. But from Zhejiang's standpoint, the team's survival is more important than any league image. The cases of Hebei and Shenzhen's disbandment also show that the Chinese Super League clubs are being hit by Golden Resources Football, with a shortage of operating funds and stalled shareholding reforms. The root cause of all this lies in former CFA chairman Chen Xuyuan, who has been taken away by the relevant authorities for investigation. Had he not led the corporatization reform, which led to the withdrawal of many investment companies from soccer, the Chinese Super League might not be in such a predicament. Although there are advantages to de-corporatization and allowing clubs to operate on their own, the current situation of the Chinese Super League shows that the lack of financial support from corporations will make it extremely challenging for clubs to operate. Therefore, I believe that Chairman Chen's over-eagerness to push forward the reform of corporatization has led to the current frequent disruptions and the decline of the overall level of the Chinese Super League.
