Recently, Jia Shunhao, the former leader of Heilongjiang Bingcheng Football Club, disclosed the status of the team's salary in the Central League during a speech program.
Jia Shunhao took over the reins of Heilongjiang Bingcheng in 2022 and stepped down in April this year, during which time the team participated in 50 official matches with a record of 17 wins, 12 draws and 21 losses. Talking about the team's salary structure, Jia Shunhao confessed:
"In our team, there are players who have transferred from the top Giant family as well as youngsters who have just emerged from the youth team. In Heilongjiang, we have to admit that the income here is not generous, the highest salary is only $20,000 and only a few people can enjoy it, 11 players even earn only $5,000 to $6,000 a month."
"What does a $5,000 or $6,000 monthly salary mean? Let me explain with a detail of life. These are the two pairs of sneakers we have to wear in our daily training and competitions. Perhaps we only need one pair a month, and the prices on the official website show that a month's salary can only buy one pair of shoes, and the rest is for living expenses. To make matters worse, salaries are often delayed."
"In spite of this, many players chose to live on borrowed money and even borrowed money to buy air tickets home because they were all willing to stick around. After all, no one is willing to give up the chance to play soccer. As we all know very well, the competition in professional soccer is so cruel. During the ten years or so from youth to professional team, any injury or coach's preference turns out to be a major impact on the whole career. Therefore, these players who have persevered cherish their soccer dreams even more and are unwilling to let down the support and expectations of fans over the years."
