It is worth mentioning that China's Football Association (FA) is making every effort to promote a comprehensive overhaul of the league's payroll problem. According to the disclosure of Soccer Daily, a well-known domestic sports media, the FA's stance on salary arrears to players is beyond resolute. Given that the Association has given teams one year to clear up salary arrears, if any team fails to pass the league's entry audit due to unresolved salary issues, the team will not be eligible for the next season's Chinese Super League journey. In extreme cases, if the Chinese Super League fails to have 18 teams due to salary arrears, the remaining teams will have to fill the vacancies in the new season.
For the China First Division and China Second Division, the FA's actions are equally thunderous. The problem of salary arrears in the league must be completely eradicated in order to increase the number of teams. The FA's latest declaration is that it is "better to have a shortage than an abundance", as the chronic problem of salary arrears has plagued the league for a long time. If the league is to achieve stability and sustainable development, the problem must be solved at the root. Otherwise, it is inevitable that another salary arrears scandal will break out in our league, which will undoubtedly damage the international image of Chinese soccer.
Looking ahead to 2023, Chinese soccer will undoubtedly face a baptism of turbulence. However, it is still unknown whether the FA can lead Chinese soccer back on track.
