New FA president Song Kai vowed to keep a tight rein on league entry qualifications, but this year's entry process seems to have fallen back into the old routine of dragging its feet. The FA first gave teams an extra 10-day grace period, then promised to announce the access list in phases, and now the results of the initial review have surfaced.
According to Beijing Youth Daily reporter Sean, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) has conducted a pre-qualification process for the entry of Chinese Super League (CSL), Chinese First Division (CFA) and Chinese Second Division (CSB) clubs for the 2024 season, and the results show that a total of eight clubs have failed to pass the process (two in the CSL, four in the CFA, and two in the CSB). Shockingly, traditional giants Beijing Guoan also failed to pass the preliminary examination.
On the day the results of the preliminary hearing were announced, Guoan's foreign aid player, De Souza, sparked concern when he left a message on social media platforms: "First they need to pay me."
So what exactly is Beijing Guoan's predicament? Looking back at the history, Sino Land acquired 64% of Guoan FC for 3.55 billion yuan in 2016, and then purchased the remaining 36% in 2021, making Guoan its wholly-owned subsidiary. However, in 2021, Evergrande Group suddenly suffered a crisis and the real estate industry was plunged into a cold winter, and Sino Land was not spared.2023 In June, all of the shares of Guoan FC held by the Group were frozen, and the court ruled that the creditors had the right to pledge the equity.
In other words, Beijing Guoan FC became a victim of the financial crisis of its parent group, Zhonghe Land. Also failing to pass the preliminary examination was the Cangzhou Lions, a club that was once wholly owned by the Yongchang Group but has since fallen into financial difficulties due to investment adjustments.
It's worth noting that the Cangzhou Lions are actively working on access issues. According to Soccer Daily, the team's coaching staff and Chinese players have agreed to defer their salaries, and 70 percent of the foreign aid arrears have been repaid, with the rest amounting to about $1 million. In addition, Zhang Bing, a lawyer, also said that the Cangzhou players he represents have received the full amount of salary arrears from the club.
Beijing Guoan and Cangzhou Lions are the only two remaining clubs in the Chinese Super League controlled by real estate companies. Visible, leading the Chinese Super League to the golden dollar era of "real estate soccer" has come to an end. Among them, Cangzhou Lions is particularly special, whose shareholding structure connects the two eras. We also see the risk of "urban investment in soccer" in this club. If Chinese soccer clubs can't get rid of the position of being subsidiaries of others and can't operate independently, the annual league admission review will always be a good show.
Clubs that do not pass the initial review reportedly still have the opportunity to add additional material. The Cangzhou Lions are struggling, while Beijing Guoan's historical position and geographic location make it nearly impossible to pass the final review.
