The “shocking” collapse of champions Jiangsu is a watershed for Chinese soccer that should prompt a rethink from top to bottom, state media said.
Jiangsu, who are owned by the conglomerate Suning — which also owns Italy’s Inter — on Sunday said that they would “cease operations,” three months after winning the Chinese Super League title for the first time.
The announcement underlines the financial problems coursing through the league that could also see the Tianjin Tigers fold this week.
Photo: AFP
It also highlights the declining fortunes of a league that repeatedly smashed the Asian transfer record just a few years ago, attracting a number of foreign stars.
Many have since left.
“It seems incredible and shocking, but it feels like the dust has now settled,” Xinhua news agency said following the announcement by Jiangsu, who have not yet dissolved and are seeking a financial lifeline.
Xinhua said that 16 teams across three tiers of Chinese professional soccer folded last year.
The Chinese Super League gained a reputation for luring star players with hefty wages and exorbitant transfer fees — then-Shanghai SIPG signed Oscar from Chelsea in 2017 for an Asian-record 60 million euros (US$72.3 million at the current exchange rate).
The Chinese Football Association has since brought in a raft of measures to cool spending, including a 100 percent transfer tax and salary caps.
It said yesterday that it was “sorry to hear” about Jiangsu, but respected the club’s decision, and vowed to plow on with its attempts to make China a leading soccer power.
However, times are tough for Chinese clubs, where money began to dry up even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The most important thing at the moment is to ... reload and start again, rather than being lost in confusion or remorse,” Xinhua said. “To some extent it is a good thing that the bubble has burst earlier [than expected]. Chinese professional football has ushered in its first ‘watershed’ after its high-speed, wild growth. Respect the laws of football, respect the laws of the market, adhere to youth training and work for the long term.”
The Beijing Youth Daily said that the implosion of Jiangsu, who are based in Nanjing, was an opportunity for renewal.
“Where does Chinese football go from here?” it said. “Experts say that to solve the predicament of Chinese football it must be overthrown and reconstructed.”
“Chinese football, the promotion of it and youth training all need to be reassessed,” the newspaper said.
The new Chinese Super League season, which will almost certainly be shorn of Jiangsu and Tianjin, is expected to start next month, but there is no definite date because of uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.
The pressure was already on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso before their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League raised further questions about his future. Arsenal remain perfect in this season’s competition and three points clear at the top of the standings after a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, while defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were held 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao. The clash between Madrid and City was the standout game of the round amid reports this week that Alonso had lost control of the locker room. Speculation over his position is likely to intensify after the latest
‘HIGH STANDARD’: The Thunder are on track for a Finals-Cup double after they scored 22 three-pointers in equaling the best 25-game start to a season in NBA history The Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday bagged a 16th straight victory, thrashing the Phoenix Suns 138-89 to romp into an NBA Cup semi-final clash with the San Antonio Spurs, who stunned the Los Angeles Lakers 132-119. NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points to lead the reigning NBA champions Thunder, who improved to 24-1 to equal the best 25-game start to a season in league history. They dominated from start to finish to book their place in the final four of the in-season tournament in Las Vegas, where they are tomorrow to take on the Spurs. The New York Knicks and
TOP OF THE TABLE: Evann Guessand put the visitors ahead early in the game and Flavius Daniliuc equalized before Youri Tielemans got the winner in the second half Aston Villa on Thursday extended their winning streak to eight games in all competitions with a 2-1 victory against Basel in the UEFA Europa League to secure at least a playoff spot. Villa were tied with Olympique Lyonnais, who beat Go Ahead Eagles 2-1, and Midtjylland, 1-0 winners over Genk, atop the standings of the second-tier European competition on 15 points with five wins from six games. They have bounced back from a poor start to the season and are third in the Premier League, including a 2-1 victory over leaders Arsenal on Saturday. At St Jakob-Park in Basel, summer signing Evann Guessand
Tony Jefferson intercepted a Jalen Hurts pass in overtime to give the Los Angeles Chargers a 22-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday in an NFL thriller between playoff contenders. Justin Herbert, playing a week after surgery on his broken left (non-throwing) hand, withstood a career-high seven sacks to throw for 139 yards and a touchdown for the Chargers. Cameron Dicker kicked five field goals, including the 54-yard game winner in overtime. The Chargers defenders forced Hurts to throw four interceptions and surrender a fumble for a career-worst five turnovers as the Eagles fell to 8-5 with a third
RSS