On June 22, reporter Chen Yong, discussing the schedule setup for this season's Chinese Super League, pointed out that shortening the schedule would be far more harmful to the league than the impact of international players not being able to compete.
Chen Yong elaborates further in his article:
Does the CFA Pro League realize that reducing the schedule to 22 rounds, a cross-year format or 15 rounds is damaging to the league in ways that go far beyond the issue of absent international players?
At this point, it seems that the ideal scenario might be to maintain the 30-round regular season and give the international players a temporary break in September, October and November.
The move may have an impact on the four clubs competing for the title, including Taishan, Guangzhou Guoan and Seaport, but such a sacrifice seems more valuable than having all the clubs damaged or even the entire league in trouble.
