As we enter the spring of 2021, the first stage of the Chinese Super League's groupings were revealed as promised. However, in a slight departure from the previously rumored grouping plan, Tianjin Jinmen Tigers and Guangzhou City unexpectedly swapped places, a change that allowed the three top teams in the Guangdong region - Guangzhou, Guangzhou City and Shenzhen - to gather in the Guangzhou division.
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) and the Preparatory Group of the Professional League announced in advance that the first stage grouping of the 2021 season of the Chinese Super League will continue to follow the ranking basis of the 2020 season, using a serpentine arrangement of the grouping, and that the tournament will be held in two places, Guangzhou and Suzhou.
The specific groupings of the serpentine arrangement are as follows:
Group A: 1 Guangzhou, 4 Shandong Taishan, 5 Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic, 8 Henan Songshan Longmen, 9 Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, 12 Shenzhen, 13 Qingdao, 16 Cangzhou Lion
Group B: 2 Beijing Guoan, 3 Shanghai Harbor, 6 Shanghai Shenhua, 7 Hebei, 10 Guangzhou City, 11 Dalian People, 14 Changchun Yatai, 15 Wuhan
Originally, Guangzhou and Guangzhou City were located in different groups. Given a combination of factors such as ticket sales, it was finally decided to make a positional adjustment, with Tianjin Jinmen Tigers moving from Group A to Group B, while Guangzhou City moved from Group B to Group A. In this way, the three strongest teams in Guangdong were able to continue to compete in the same division.
The final grouping results for the 2021 season of the Super League are as follows:
Group A (Guangzhou Region): 1 Guangzhou, 4 Shandong Taishan, 5 Chongqing Liangjiang Athletics, 8 Henan Songshan Longmen, 10 Guangzhou City, 12 Shenzhen, 13 Qingdao, 16 Cangzhou Lions
