While the start of the Super League is still up in the air, the AFC Champions League qualifiers are on the line, and Changchun Yatai, the promoted team that came 4th in the Super League last year, was scheduled to face the winner of the match between Sydney FC and Kaya on March 15th.
However, just today, the AFC officially unveiled the heavy news that the Chinese Super League's Changchun Yatai club officially announced its withdrawal from the 2022 season of the AFC Champions League. Following the dissolution of Liaoning Hongyun, Changchun Yatai became the second Chinese Super League team to voluntarily withdraw.
Changchun Yatai's decision to withdraw from the tournament was largely influenced by the new Champions League epidemic. Given that last year's Beijing Guoan players were stranded overseas for a long time due to the AFC Champions League, Changchun Yatai's choice to withdraw from the tournament doesn't seem out of place - after all, once the players are stranded overseas, it's almost impossible to play in the Chinese Super League this season.
However, Changchun Yatai's move may trigger a series of chain reactions. Shandong Taishan, Shanghai Harbor and Guangzhou, who are interested in participating in the AFC Champions League, are likely to follow Changchun Yatai's example and miss the AFC Champions League.
The Guangzhou team, in particular, is currently in deep financial difficulties, and even the budget for airfare and hotels may be difficult to secure. The first-line players have almost collectively left the team, and it is difficult to reproduce the scene of last year's temporary formation of a young lineup from the Evergrande Football School to participate in the AFC Champions League. Against this backdrop, Guangzhou should probably follow Changchun Yatai's example and opt out of the AFC Champions League.
