Although the Chinese Football Association (CFA) has yet to officially announce a specific schedule for the re-launch of the Chinese Super League (CSL), according to the latest news, the league will kick off on July 15th. Given that individual venues in Suzhou are undergoing maintenance, some of the matches in the tournament may face venue adjustments.
Although the Chinese Super League (CSL) teams have not yet been notified of the latest fixtures, they are actively advancing their preparations in accordance with the plan to start the match on July 18th. Henan Songshan Longmen and Guangzhou, as well as Beijing Guoan and Hebei, will have to adapt to the pace of the game in advance due to bye matches. The 5th round bye match between Henan Songshan Longmen and Guangzhou will be played on the 15th, while the 5th round bye match between Beijing Guoan and Hebei will be played on the 16th in Suzhou.
For Suzhou and Guangzhou, precautionary measures remain a top priority. Spectators will still be allowed in the current phase of the Chinese Super League, with more than half of the matches in Suzhou open to spectators. The number of matches open to spectators in Guangzhou has yet to be confirmed. At present, all parties are negotiating with the match venue to open the number of matches, and waiting for the approval of the relevant departments to clarify the specific number of matches and measures that fans can watch.
The uncertainty of the schedule stems mainly from the stadium issue. The turf of the Suzhou Sports Center Stadium, which previously hosted the Chinese Super League and the FA Cup, has been under heavy pressure and needs maintenance, making it impossible to host the next Chinese Super League matches. With a compressed schedule and four matches to be played on the competition day of each round of the tournament, the stadium issue has become particularly problematic.
In the face of this situation, the Football Association had to start looking for alternative venues. Considering the conditions of the venues, transportation and other factors, the venues in Rugao and Changzhou are relatively suitable for hosting the matches. However, for the teams in Suzhou, the time spent on traveling will be greatly increased, which is a severe test for the players' physical fitness. In such a special period, the teams can only choose to obey the arrangement.
