Wuhan Changjiang FC has had a rather bumpy journey in the 2022 season. Despite the team's determination to compete, it was penalized twice by the CFL for wage issues and was deducted nine points. In the end, the team finished 16th in the league with 19 points from 34 matches with 8 wins, 4 draws and 22 losses. In the second half of the league season, Wuhan suffered several consecutive defeats and were demoralized, in stark contrast to the early season when they beat Shanghai Port in successive rounds.
Former coach Li Tie is being investigated for allegedly committing a serious offense, and Wuhan Changjiang FC is in even greater trouble. Numerous executives and coaching staff in the music department are missing, and once the problem is confirmed, the team may face the risk of relegation again even if they intend to continue to participate in the league. In addition, the music department is also faced with the problem of arrears in wages to players, foreign aid personnel, dissolution may become a helpless choice.
Wuhan Changjiang is not an isolated case. Hebei were unfortunate enough to be relegated, the team lost personnel, the players openly demanded payment from the club over wages, and at one point the club said it would continue to support the players if they met the registration requirements, otherwise it would pull out of the Chinese Super League. Fortunately, Hebei finished the season, but the risk of the club's dissolution remained. At the end of the season, Hebei were on vacation and it is not yet clear whether they will compete in the new season.
The Shenzhen soccer team is also in deep trouble, with a number of executives, former executives and players being investigated for alleged match-fixing. The club is saddled with huge debts and investors' interest in investing in soccer has waned. The Guangzhou duo is also not optimistic. After the relegation of the Guangzhou team, it is still uncertain whether Evergrande will continue to run the soccer business. The Guangzhou City team was relegated, but reforms have stalled, players' contracts have expired, and star player Li Tixiang has joined the Zhejiang team.
Wuhan Changjiang became the fourth Chinese Super League club to dissolve in the past four seasons, with Tianjin Tianhai, Jiangsu Suning and Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic also announcing their dissolution. With the Chinese Super League facing an existential crisis, the CFA and CFF are ready to reduce the size of the league to allow a year for clubs to pay back salary arrears. In order to avoid future problems, the CFA is mentally prepared to reduce the size of the league to 16.
The Chinese Super League had expanded from 16 to 18 teams, but the expansion may be short-lived this season. The admission criteria for the China League One will also be tightened, and some clubs may face difficulties in registering for admission due to alleged gambling and other violations. The CFA held a meeting in August last year to crack down on fake gambling and announced reporting channels, showing the importance it attaches to the healthy development of the league.
