The 2024 season schedule drafted by the Football Association's competition department shows that the new Chinese Super League season kicks off on March 1 and draws to a close in November, with the season divided into six phases, Sports Weekly reporter Ma Dexing has revealed.
On February 24, the annual Super Bowl opened in grand style. The first two rounds of the new season are scheduled for March 1-3 and March 8-10, respectively. Immediately after that, the national team will focus on FIFA's March 18-26 window, with the spotlight locked on the two World Preliminary 36 matches in Singapore.
The Battle of Singapore came to an end on March 26, with Round 3 of the Super League resuming on March 29-31st. The schedule is then tight until the completion of Round 14 from May 24-26, during which 12 rounds of fixtures are played intensively over an eight-week period, interspersed with four weeks of double-header matches. However, the league will be suspended on April 17 and 24 for the AFC Champions League semi-final days.
From April 15 to May 3, Qatar will host the final of the U23 Asian Cup and the final of the Paris Olympic Men's Asian Qualifying Tournament. Although the tournament department has not considered the league to make way, the arrangement of seven rounds of events before and after the tournament, the fear of triggering dissatisfaction of the clubs, affecting the Olympic team selection.
Immediately after the league wrapped up on May 26, the national team moved on to the June 3-11 match window to prepare for key World Cup matches against Thailand and South Korea. Away from South Korea, the 15th round of the Chinese Super League starts on June 14-16 as scheduled until the 19th round on July 13th.
After a short break for flight training from July 18 to 24, the Chinese Super League resumes with Round 20 on July 26. after Round 24 on August 25, the national team prepares for the September 2-10 Top 18 group stage window. Whether China will qualify for the Top 18 is unclear, but the Competition Department is ready.
After the national team fixtures in September, the Premier League played three more rounds until the 27th round on September 29. the league was suspended from October 7 to 15 to make way for the group stage of the Top 18. the league completed the 28th to 30th rounds on October 18 to 20, 27 and November 2, when the season came to an end.
Starting on November 3, the national teams prepare for the fifth and sixth rounds of the group stage from November 11-19. 18 matches later, the FA Cup final is staged on November 23rd. The participating clubs then prepare for the fifth and sixth rounds of the Asian Elite League.
Overall, the season schedule is divided into six phases due to national team events. The first half of the schedule is intensive, but the frequency of doubles is limited to April through May, totaling three. The new season starts on March 1, a month and a half later than last year.
According to the plan, the week after the opening of the Super League, the Central League to maintain the size of 16 teams. The Central B opens at the end of March and finishes at the end of October. The FA Cup begins in mid-March next year with seven rounds of single-elimination matches interspersed with league matches.
