On March 29, with the Chinese Football Association (CFA) and its working league closely scrutinizing, the list of teams for the new season's three tiers of the Chinese Super League (CSL), Chinese First Division (CFA) and Chinese Second Division (CSB) was finally settled. Jiangsu and other last season's Chinese Super League champions, as well as Taizhou Yuanda, Inner Mongolia Zhongyou, Beijing Renhe and six other teams left the professional game. The Tianjin Jinmen Tigers, who had been rumored to be on the verge of withdrawing, unexpectedly gained access, while Zhejiang, the runner-up of the Central League A, regrettably had no connection with the Chinese Super League. Due to the withdrawal of several teams from the Central League A and B, several teams from the Central Championship League were thus granted access.
The Chinese Super League champion Jiangsu team failed to "resurrect", but the Cangzhou Lions entered the Chinese Super League by replacement. Tianjin Jinmen Tiger's "resurrection" is surprising, TEDA Group had clearly indicated that it would give up the team, but recently Tianjin actively looking for sponsors, to protect Tianjin soccer. Tianjin soccer star Yu Genwei may become the head coach next season. With the expansion of the Chinese Super League to 18 teams, the relegation quota for this season is "0.5+0.5", which reduces the pressure of relegation, and may also allow young players to get more opportunities to play.
The groupings for the new Chinese Super League season have been revealed and Dalianers will be in the same group as Beijing Guoan, Shanghai Harbour, Shanghai Shenhua, Hebei, Guangzhou City, Wuhan and Changchun Yatai.
Central League team lineups shuffled
There have been changes to the teams in the Central League compared to last season, with Taizhou Yuanda having announced its dissolution, and Inner Mongolia Zhongyou and Beijing Renhe failing to gain entry. Beijing Renhe was supposed to be replaced by Xinjiang Tianshan Xuelao in the Central League, but failed to pass the admission, and Nanjing City and Beijing Institute of Technology qualified for the Central League.
With the expansion of the Chinese Super League, the rules of promotion and relegation in the Chinese First Division have also been adjusted. The top two regular super, the third and fourth league will be the last two with the Super League play-offs, relegation rules also used "0.5 + 0.5" quota.
Amateur teams fill the void in C.B.
There will be 24 teams competing in the new season of the China B League, down from 32 in its heyday, and including many new faces. Chinese Super League and Chinese League A teams such as Jiangsu Yancheng Dingli and Shenzhen Pokgang failed to pass the admission, while the Champions League champions to the ninth place were qualified to participate in the Chinese League B. The Chinese League B will have 24 teams, down from 32 in its heyday.
According to the program released by the CFA, the 2022 season of the second league to maintain the size of 24 teams, the promotion rules are the same as those of the Central League, the relegation of the final two direct relegation, the penultimate third and fourth place and the fifth and sixth place of the Central Championship for the play-offs.
