On October 13, a report from Korean media outlet EDAILY stirred up a thousand waves on the internet. The news that Chengdu Rongcheng FC allegedly owed foreign players and coaches salaries with the intention of not paying them quickly ignited public attention and debate.
Looking back at Chengdu Rongcheng's rise to prominence since 2021, we see that since then, several Korean coaches, including Kim Dae-yi and Kwak Tae-hui, as well as players such as Kim Min-woo, Andrigo, and Richards, have not received their due bonuses. At the time, the club promised to pay them, but the current management refused to do so on the grounds that they "do not recognize their predecessor's promises".
Miu, a well-known media personality, reacted quickly, pointing out that his "brother in another country" had begun to seek action, but that the contract in his hands forced him to consider taking legal action to recover the money owed to him.
Miao then posted a seemingly uninformative paragraph on social media, which was in fact a response to the Korean media report. This paragraph contains three layers of meaning: first, expressed anger at the South Korean media's erroneous reports; second, pointed out that the "Chinese soccer news family" did not disclose the specific personnel affected; and finally, emphasized that the former Chengdu Football Association Chairman Koo Jianming and others waiting for the announcement of the list. Currently, the club seems to be in a predicament where "no one can get out of the door and no one can get in", and financial problems need to be solved.
In order to go deeper into this matter, we need to go back to September 27th. Miao revealed that an agent had signed two contracts for all the foreigners and the club, and that the person responsible for signing them was either "in the middle of it" or had escaped. Today, the agent is demanding payment of the outstanding amount, but the new management only recognizes one contract.
The story mirrored that of the South Korean media, which constantly referred to "Chinese soccer journalists". Miao, as a person in the know, kept a high degree of attention to the incident. But why the incident has been exposed for half a month, the relevant management departments have not yet taken a position? Is it possible that the phenomenon of clubs signing "two contracts" has become the norm in recent years?
Recently, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) issued a notice on league access for the 2025 season, requiring clubs to submit relevant materials, including confirmation forms of salary arrears, within a specified time frame. If the reports in the Korean media are true, Chengdu Rongcheng FC may face the risk of not being able to enter the league next season.
Brokers and clubs keep the "two contracts" secret, not to mention not daring to publicize or appeal, which will undoubtedly put both sides in a dilemma. In the end, both sides may suffer losses. However, why did Miao push the agent to the court? Perhaps it is just his mindset to see what's going on?
What appears to be a complex event is simple and straightforward. Once the evidence is conclusive and the truth is revealed, a "big storm" will be triggered. As a bystander, we can only wait and see what happens, waiting for the FA's next move.
