The schedule for the new Chinese Super League season has not yet been finalized, but other than Kunshan, other Chinese Super League teams have already assembled and prepared for the game, including Shanghai powerhouses Shenhua and Harbour. According to analysis, these two teams will see major changes in 2023: Shenhua will undergo personnel turnover; while Harbour will usher in a brand new coaching lineup despite a stable lineup.
Time is running out for the Harbors to make their selection.
Since the beginning of the month, the Harbour Team officially assembled on the 15th, and Century Park Football Stadium became the venue for the players to resume training in advance. On that day, 30 members of the Harbour team, including players who were loaned out last season such as Fu Huan and Zhang Wei, appeared at Century Park. It is reported that the team's main training task is physical recovery, with Chinese coaches Xi Zhikang and Sun Xiang in charge of guidance. Foreign players such as Oscar will return at the end of the month.
The fact that the club has yet to make progress in hiring a new coach is a negative sign for the Harbour team. The absence of the coach has led to difficulties in decision making within the team, such as the fact that some of the 30 local players will not be able to register. The coach's decisions are crucial to the team's preparation.
Shenhua team adjusts its lineup amidst a mix of old and new.
The day after the harbor team assembled, Shenhua started the first training session of the new season at Kangqiao base. Several veterans such as Feng Xiaoting and Qin Sheng left the team or retired, while Cong Zhen and Xu Yougang left the team when their contracts expired. Coach Wu Jingui will face the problem of how to adjust the team.
As many as 11 players from Shenhua's first team were unable to attend club training due to players being selected for the Olympic and Asian Games squads. The coaching staff has drawn eight young players from the ladder to join the first team, including Chen Shenji and Qi Long. Two other players in the squad were injured, with Liu Ruowan van returning to treatment for an ankle injury and Eddie undergoing rehabilitation for meniscus surgery.
Wu Jingui said Shenhua will continue to integrate the team to help young players grow quickly under the framework of old with new. The team's first phase of training is focused on physical reserves.
Shenhua's coaching staff has also seen changes, with Japanese coaches Koji Maeda and Zheng Kewei joining the coaching staff, who has coached in Japan's J1 and J2 leagues as well as China's Women's First League.
How Shenhua and Harbour can quickly gel their teams during the preparation period will be key. With the start date of the Chinese Super League expected to be in mid-to-late April, time is running out. (Photos: Shanghai Harbor FC, Shanghai Shenhua FC)
