Last season's Chinese Super League, which just ended, was full of twists and turns. On the threshold of the Lunar New Year, Wuhan Changjiang Football Club announced its dissolution on the fourth day of the new year, bidding farewell to the professional soccer stage. However, it is unfortunate that they opted out of the current predicament while they were still fighting in the fierce Chinese Super League last season. So when will the new Super League season kick off? Will more teams opt out? And what changes have been made to the rules of admission?
According to relevant reports, it is unlikely that the opening of the new Premier League season will be brought forward to March. In the past, before the outbreak of the epidemic, the CFL season usually opened in March, while the opening of the 2023 season is expected to be in mid-April, no later than early May. One of the entry requirements for the new season is to address the issue of wage arrears. It is reported that the Football Association is determined to fix the wage arrears phenomenon in a tough way, i.e. those who have not solved the wage arrears problem will not be allowed to get the access qualification and will not be able to take part in the new season of the Chinese Super League, which will start as scheduled even if more teams withdraw. Applications for access to the music sector will be accepted from Feb. 10 to March 20, and the access system will close on March 3rd.
Well-known bloggers have pointed out that there are still a number of teams in the Chinese Super League that are in arrears with their wages. As of February 2023, there are still as many as seven teams that have not been paid their basic salaries for 2022, not to mention bonuses. The issue of basic salaries and bonuses has not yet been resolved for numerous music departments.
Given that the deadline for admission to the new Chinese Super League season is March 3, it means there is less than a month left. If these clubs fail to resolve the issue of salary arrears and get the players to sign the relevant documents, they will have no access to the new Chinese Super League season. In past seasons, the Super League had relaxed some of its access rules for a smooth opening, but now, with the resumption of home-and-away matches, the soccer association should also focus on fixing the chaos.
Last season, Hebei's players repeatedly pulled up pay banners at the scene of the Chinese Super League, and the scene was also reported by several foreign media, which had a considerable negative impact on the image of the Chinese Super League and Chinese soccer. Both the club's investors and the Football Association should be held responsible. If regulation is not in place, the neglect of access rules will be widely criticized.
With the arrival of the 2023 season, if all goes well, the home-and-away system will be reinstated and fans will have the opportunity to return to the stadium to watch the matches. Under the strict governance of the FA, we look forward to a revitalized Chinese Super League in the new season.
