On April 20, media personality Yuan Ye made an in-depth analysis of the upcoming Chinese Super League (CSL) season and the future direction of the U23 national football team on his social media platform. He made it clear that this year's Chinese Super League will never give way to the U23 national soccer team and will do its best to ensure the integrity of the league.
Here are Yuan Ye's detailed views:
"The Premier League making way for U23? This is simply impossible to envision."
Yuan Ye mentioned that despite news that the league might give way again for the upcoming Asian Games and East Asian Cup, it seems like this is feasible as the league already gave way for the national soccer team last year. However, the U23 national soccer team and the national football team are two different concepts.
national soccer team
Last year's participation was in the 12-team tournament, most of the participating players are the mainstay of the national team, if the league goes on as usual, without these international players, the clubs will not agree, and the schedule at that time was unanimously approved by the clubs voted.
In contrast, the U23 national football team does not have many players who can play as starters in their clubs, and the personnel is more spread out, unlike the national team which is concentrated in a few big clubs. What's more, it has been proven through last year's Top 12 that the league is the cornerstone of soccer, and this year's league is just as crucial, and every effort must be made to maintain the integrity of the league, so it won't make way for the U23 national team. However, if any club players are selected for the U23 national team, a reduction in playing time should be granted to those U23 players, which has been enforced before.
As for when the league will start, which is everyone's main concern, we are only waiting for the finalization of each candidate division. If all goes well, we can expect to see the Premier League action again in May.
