On the momentous occasion of January 9, 2023, Football Daily revealed a concerning development: our soccer association has shown unprecedented attention to the problem of wage arrears accumulated in the league. In response, the Football Association has made a decisive decision to embark on a wage arrears cleanup.
The Football Gazette further revealed that the core of the work for the 2023 season focuses on league access matters, which not only includes resolving historical wage arrears since the 2021 season, but also covers three key points in time - three reviews in 2022; the inclusion of a review of wage arrears from the 2022 season into the review of access for the 2023 season; and the review of access at all levels of the ladder. Of these, the historical arrears of wages and the review of arrears of wages for the 2022 season are the two key aspects. The FA's position is firm and unshakable, and it is even prepared for the reduction of the number of Super League teams to 16, and has made preparations for a situation in which the number of Central League A teams is less than the number of Super League teams.
December 31, 2022 marks the third review point of the historical arrears of wages issue, and that review phase has now been initiated, but the process is undoubtedly complex and lengthy. Currently, two clubs in the Chinese Super League are facing serious problems, while the remaining clubs are at risk but relatively stable; the situation in the Chinese A-League is not optimistic. Wuhan Changjiang and Hebei may face dissolution. In addition, there are at least five other clubs that are at risk, and the potential risks should not be ignored; while the China B League has shown some stability.
The General Administration of Sport and even the national level have attached great importance to solving the problem of unpaid wages in the league, which has undoubtedly injected strong confidence into the CFA. After three years of a wave of withdrawals and reactive responses, the CFA has finally decided to take the initiative to clear up the unpaid wages. Under the premise of providing three time points as a buffer, the CFA has turned from passive to active, and this public statement that "even if the number of teams decreases, we must resolutely solve the problem of salary arrears" is a direct manifestation of its determination and resolve.
