At the end of the year, the Chinese Super League (CSL) suffered an unprecedented storm. According to senior reporter Wen Li, the Shenzhen team, which has just won the Super League crown, has encountered a lot of difficulties in its first season. Not only was goalkeeper Zhang Lu taken away for investigation in connection with Li Tie's case, but several members of the team also came under police scrutiny one after another.
Wen Li further disclosed that two current officials and three players within the Shenzhen team were taken away by the police, including some former members. Numerous fans have said that the Shenzhen team has become the hardest hit area of the Chinese Super League's anti-corruption storm. With the Chinese Super League off-season approaching, the investigation department has accelerated the pace of the case.
Facing Li Tie's case and related allegations, Shenzhen will face serious consequences such as relegation if they are proven to have manipulated the game or played a fake game. The Chinese Super League is set for a complete overhaul in the off-season. The pattern of teams for the next season is still unclear.
Meanwhile, a new development has come from Chen Xuyuan, the president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA). Soccer commentator Li Xuan revealed that Chen Xuyuan will hold a league working meeting on January 15, his first public appearance since recently. Due to his long absence from the public, there is speculation that Chen Xuyuan may also be under investigation.
Chen Xuyuan still has more than a year left in his term of office. Now, he is faced with the choice to continue to complete his term of office and then resign, or to step down in the middle of the class. Given that he will attend the January 15 meeting of the Football Association, it is widely believed that Chen Xuyuan will not be dismissed before the Spring Festival. Perhaps Chen Xuyuan will be able to ride out the storm and enjoy his old age in peace.
For Chinese soccer, it is currently at a low ebb. Nonetheless, we must overhaul soccer and severely punish all those involved in order to create opportunities for the healthy development of Chinese soccer. If the problem is allowed to spread, Chinese soccer will not only hit rock bottom, but may even drop to the negative stratum.
