As we enter the threshold of 2024, a piece of news is quietly circulating: the foreign aid policy of the Chinese Super League and the First Division is expected to see a change in the new season, and the foreign aid quota may be expanded. The reason behind this change is allegedly the recent decline in league level and the low performance of the Chinese Super League.
According to the disclosure, the Chinese Super League foreign aid registration rules will be upgraded from "7654" to "7655", that is, each team can register seven foreign aid throughout the year, of which a maximum of six can be on the field at the same time, the maximum number of five people in a single game, and the total number of foreign aid from the previous four to five. In the Central League, the registration policy will also be changed from "4332" to "4333", i.e. the number of foreign aiders per team will be increased from two to three.
For the upcoming foreign aid policy adjustment, the media generally believe that this is a double-edged sword, the focus is still on whether the policy change will compress the survival space of local players, and thus improve the overall level of the league. However, a different perspective, from the perspective of the local teams in Shanghai, may have different insights...
Shanghai's two Chinese Super League (CSL) teams have morphed into "international star power" in recent years. Many players have been called up for national team matches at all levels. When teams face manpower shortages, more local players are able to take on important roles. As a result, the development space for local players in Shanghai and Shanghai has not been squeezed too much.
However, in terms of the quality of foreign aid, Shanghai Port and Shanghai Shenhua, the double winners of the Chinese Super League and the FA Cup last season, have not fully satisfied the outside world and the fans. Shenhua's most successful recruit is probably Amadou, while Mallet's "happy soccer" strategy has left fans confused. With age, Basogo's injuries have become more frequent and Teixeira has lost his starting position.
Although Shanghai Shenhua finished in the top three of the Chinese Super League for a long time last season, and eventually won the FA Cup, it was mainly due to the outstanding play of their local players. The "Monkey Brothers" Yu Hanchao and Jiang Shenglong have both been invaluable in scoring goals this season, with the former directly contributing to Shenhua's title triumph, while 34-year-old Cao Yunding has shown remarkable ball control once he has taken to the field.
At Shanghai Port, Issa Caron, Pinko and Vargas never managed to get a steady foothold, and Lucas João had a great mid-season, but faded into obscurity after scoring and assisting in his first seven games.
Oscar remains the team's most consistent and efficient midfield core, contributing 9 goals and 13 assists last season, and as the team's midfield brain, Oscar has become a model for foreigners in the Chinese Super League. Although it is not clear whether Shanghai Port will continue to work with Oscar, at least such a player can bring substantial help to the team.
Looking back on the reinforcements of the two Shanghai teams since 2020, whether it is Shenhua's Fidel Martinez, Bolaños, Dumbya, or Hong Kong's Lopez, N'Diaye, Pinko, there is a very high cost-effective foreign aid. However, when these foreign aid can not be integrated into the team, often jokingly referred to as "chicken ribs" by fans.
Therefore, although Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai Port are subject to the limit of 3 million euros of pre-tax salary of foreign aid, but rely on the "scratch lottery" like good luck to bring in foreign aid is not a long-term solution, they need to be more in-depth study and comprehensive assessment, or even if they have plenty of foreign aid quota, but also a waste of...
With the arrival of the New Year, Shenhua and Harbour's preparation for the new season has entered the sprint stage. Will they be able to defend their title in the league and FA Cup next year, and will they be able to help the Chinese Super League return to the AFC Champions League? This is undoubtedly a major issue for the two Shanghai teams to ponder over.
