On March 29, with the Chinese Football Association (CFA) announcing the entry list for the three-tier professional league, Wuhan was placed in Group B for the first stage of the new Chinese Super League season. In contrast to previous years' conference system, where a single win secured relegation, this season's Super League will feature 30 rounds of matches, with the final standings determined by cumulative scores, ranging from champions to places in the Super League's promotion playoffs. However, this season's competition will first be conducted in the form of a tournament grouping, with Wuhan being placed in Group B for the first stage, where they will face strong opponents such as Beijing Guoan, Shanghai Seaport, Shanghai Shenhua, Hebei, Guangzhou City, Dalian Ren and promoted Changchun Yatai. Facing such fierce competition, can Wuhan achieve satisfactory results?
The 30 rounds of the tournament breaks the "one game rule".
With defending champions Jiangsu out of the running for the new season, the Cangzhou Lions, who have been promoted by replacement, will be placed in Group A (Guangzhou Division) as a rule. The new season of the Chinese Super League will be unveiled on April 20 in Guangzhou, and the opening match will likely be a showdown between last season's runner-up Guangzhou and Cangzhou Lions. Meanwhile, the new season will be divided into three phases and the whole season will end on December 1 at the earliest.
Guangzhou, Shandong Taishan, Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic, Henan Songshan Longmen, Tianjin Jinmen Tigers, Shenzhen, Qingdao and Cangzhou Lions will be organized into Group A, while Beijing Guoan, Shanghai Harbour, Shanghai Shenhua, Hebei, Guangzhou City, Dalian People, Wuhan and Changchun Yatai will be divided into Group B. The first phase of this season's Chinese Super League is divided into two groups according to the principle of "serpentine placement". B8, A5 to A8) regrouping, continue to maintain two groups for cross double round robin, that is, A1 only with B5 to B8 double round robin, a total of 8 rounds; the third stage, the first phase of the two groups of the first four (A1 to A4, B1 to B4) in a group, after the four (A5 to A8, B5 to B8) in a group, the same cross double round robin, a total of 8 rounds, which counts down to 30 rounds of play! This makes exactly 30 rounds of matches, and each team plays two matches against each of the other 15 teams. This system ensures that each team plays 30 matches in a double round robin, home and away, and the points ranking is more reasonable, eliminating the situation where a team can be relegated with a win.
No relegation places, bottom two teams will play play-offs
As there are no direct drop places in the Super League this season, the bottom two teams will play a two-round Super League promotion and relegation playoff against the 3rd and 4th place finishers in the current season's Super League, with the winning team qualifying for the 2022 Super League season.
Schedule of the new season's stages of the Chinese Super League
Phase 1 (Rounds 1-5): April 20-May 17 (before the Top 40)
Phase 1 (Rounds 6-14): June 21-August 5 (after the Top 40)
Phase 2 (Rounds 15-22): August 21-September 29
Phase 3 (rounds 23-30): October 24-December 1
The first stage of the tournament is crucial
Currently, Wuhan's midfield and backfield personnel are complete, the only regret is that due to the epidemic and the national team competition day and other reasons, the team's front line trident Evra, Baptisteang and Rafael temporarily unable to return home. Among them, Baptiste and Raphael are affected by the epidemic in Brazil, and other teams in the Chinese Super League, such as Beijing Guoan's Augusto and so on, the situation is consistent. After participating in the Ivory Coast national team competition, Evra will depart for his home country, but after going through the quarantine period of epidemic prevention and control, it is still unknown whether he can make it in time for the first phase of the group stage of the five rounds of the tournament. This means that Wuhan will have to focus on defense and rely on their local attacking players in the first phase of the tournament, in order to compete for a desirable result.
