On Feb. 04, the soccer world was filled with heavy news: the Football Association officially announced that Yunnan Yukun, the best of China's First Division Supplemental Teams, will hopefully enter the 2024 season of the professional league. With a third-place finish in the First Division Supplemental Teams, Yunnan Yukun shows the potential to breathe new life into the First Division Supplemental Teams in the new season.
Back on January 29, the Football Association unveiled the entry list for the 2024 professional league season. Dandong Tengyue, Yunnan Yukun and Wuhan Jiangcheng were not on that list despite their performances in last season's Pro League.
Despite Yunnan Yukun's wealth, they unfortunately failed to realize their dream of being promoted to the first division after finishing third in the B team last season. With Dalian Ren and Shenzhen announcing their withdrawal from China's First Division, and Wuxi Wu Hook and Jiangxi Lushan filling the vacancies, Yunnan Yukun may need concessions from other clubs if they want to join the First Division.
It was reported that Yunnan Yukun had attempted to fill the vacancy in the difficult-to-run Dandong Tengyue of China by prompting it to announce its dissolution through financial support. However, this move was reported by members of Dandong Tengyue and attracted the attention of the relevant authorities.
Soccer Daily reported that the incident quickly drew the attention of the disciplinary authorities and intervened in the investigation. Yunnan and Liaoning also actively assisted in the investigation to find out the real situation of the two clubs.
According to reporter Zhu Xiaolong, investors of Yunnan Yukun have prepared a budget of up to 80 million dollars for the new season of China's first division league. Previously, the famous coach Li Jinyu was invited to join the team, while a number of powerful new recruits have been introduced, adding more expectations to the team's journey in the new season.
