In the second round of the Super League Central League play-offs on January 12, 2022, Qingdao and Zhejiang shook hands 0-0, with a total score of 0-1 Qingdao unfortunately relegated to the Central League. This result marks the return of Qingdao to the Central League A after two years in the Super League, and the club staff faced with this change, the heart inevitably surged a trace of sadness. It is worth mentioning that Qingdao did not play at home during the two years.
The draw was like turning back the clock, but it brought a very different challenge. Once upon a time, Qingdao was a strong team to be reckoned with in the China League One, but after two consecutive years of playing in the Chinese Super League, the team's huge debt has become a heavy burden. However, after two consecutive years of playing in the Chinese Super League, huge debts have become a heavy burden for the team. 2020 season, despite some support, but 2021 season sponsors have withdrawn their money, leaving Qingdao in financial difficulties.
Recently, Qingdao Football Club moved to the Baishawan Football Base in Qingdao's Chengyang District, which is in excellent condition with 17 soccer pitches and high-quality turf, but far from the old city center. The move reflects the club's desperate choice amid a debt dispute.
In fact, before the office was moved, the registration of Qingdao Football Club was transferred to Baisawan Area, Liuting Street, Chengyang District. Meanwhile, some of Qingdao's ladder teams have been forced to leave Field 5, the outfield of the Tiantai Stadium, which further reveals the club's predicament.
In early December last year, before the start of the second phase of the 2021 Chinese Super League season, Qingdao faced problems with unpaid wages, with players at one point refusing to enter the tournament. Although they eventually entered the tournament, they only won one, drew one and lost six of their eight matches in the second phase, and entered the play-offs at the bottom of the Chinese Super League. Facing Zhejiang, the third-ranked team in the Chinese Super League, Qingdao failed to score a goal, and were ultimately relegated.
In the 2021 season, Qingdao was demoralized after going 11 consecutive rounds without a win from the 6th round to the 16th round of the Chinese Super League. Economic woes became a stumbling block to the team's development.
Qingdao Football Club investor Qingdao Yellow Sea Pharmaceuticals came into the ownership in early 2015, leading the team to grow into a strong team in the Central League, but the club's strength is limited, and failed to make up its mind to reach the Super League.In the 2019 season, under the coordination of the municipal government, seven sponsors signed up, and the team succeeded in reaching the Super League. However, after the 2020 season, the sponsors have withdrawn their funds, and the club is in trouble.
In the second half of 2021, Qingdao's sports authorities attempted to promote the diversification of the club's investment body through equity reform, but unfortunately, the program did not receive full support. In fact, equity reform has plagued many domestic soccer clubs, and Qingdao is no exception.
After the relegation failure, Qingdao Football Club lost the basis for stock reform. After being relegated to the Central League, Qingdao has three Central League teams, but it is difficult to get key support from the municipal government. In this case, the club's relocation became a desperate move.
There are still many rumors about the future of Qingdao Football Club. However, given the current predicament, it is feared that the club's development strategy will need to be drastically adjusted.
With four professional soccer clubs and numerous youth training organizations, Qingdao is the city with the most professional clubs. In this case, the development of professional clubs is crucial, and the government needs to introduce a soccer support package to promote the development of soccer in Qingdao.
The State General Administration of Sports has identified 9 cities, including Shanghai and Chengdu, as the first batch of key cities for national soccer development during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, and Qingdao is one of them. As one of the key cities for national soccer development, Qingdao's soccer development is of great significance to the national soccer development.
