Li Xuan, a soccer insider, said bluntly that Wuhan Changjiang is in desperate straits and the ban on registering new players could become a reality.
Li Xuan further disclosed, "Changjiang FC is going through an unprecedented crisis, which is quite similar to what happened to Zibo Cuju. Previously, the club was banned from attracting reinforcements by the FA arbitration due to the unpaid wages of the coaching team. In the preparatory stage of the 2022 season, the Changjiang club submitted an application to the FA for a stay of execution of the ban, and put forward a plan to repay the salary arrears, which is not only for the coaching team, but also involves more aspects. The club promised to accept any penalties if it fails to pay the arrears as scheduled. One of these is that new players registered for this season will not be able to play until the ban is lifted. As a result, new recruits have been added to the team only this year.
However, the club has yet to fulfill its promise, and the ban has been in effect since August 1, meaning that newly registered players will not be able to make their debut. Although the team can still barely scrape together a lineup, the heavy operational pressure is obvious. Wuhan Zall Group is unable to cover the costs, and the next two days will determine the fate of the club. If the problem cannot be solved, the club may not be disbanded, but it may have to rely on its current players to barely keep playing. Newly introduced foreign aiders and players will not be able to compete. Even if they are able to compete, the team will have to strictly control costs and the club's staff will face work stoppages.
Despite the fact that after a name change at the beginning of the year and a drastic pay cut, the CK club does not have high operating expenses, the heavy historical debt and arrears are still difficult to solve. If the wage arrears issue cannot be resolved, the club will face penalty points deduction, the first three points and then six points. If the foreigners are unable to participate, the team is at an extremely high risk of relegation even if it tries to hang on.
In the first phase of the Chinese Super League (CSL), Wuhan Changjiang has won 4, drawn 1 and lost 5 after 10 matches, accumulating 13 points and ranking 11th.
