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.
Carlos Alcaraz on Monday powered into the French Open second round with a resounding win to start his title defense, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and three-time defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also progressed at Roland Garros. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and is to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in round two. Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic. “The first round is never
FRUSTRATION: Alcaraz made several unforced errors over four sets against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, who had never made it past the third round in a major competition Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round of the French Open after laboring past Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the Friday night session. The second-seeded Spaniard had never before played Dzumhur, a 33-year-old Bosnian who had never been past the third round at any major tournament. “I suffered quite a lot today,” Alcaraz said. “The first two sets was under control, then he started to play more deeply and more aggressively. It was really difficult for me.” Dzumhur hurt his left knee in a fall in the second round, and had treatment on Friday on his right leg during the
‘DREAM’: The 5-0 victory was PSG’s first Champions League title, and the biggest final win by any team in the 70-year history of the top-flight European competition Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time as Luis Enrique’s brilliant young side outclassed Inter on Saturday in the most one-sided final ever with teenager Desire Doue scoring twice in an astonishing 5-0 victory. Doue supplied the pass for Achraf Hakimi to give PSG an early lead and the 19-year-old went from provider to finisher as his deflected shot doubled the advantage in the 20th minute. Doue scored again just after the hour mark, ending any doubt about the outcome before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran away to get the fourth and substitute Senny Mayulu, another teenager, made it five. Inter were
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
RSS