Fans of Chinese soccer champions Jiangsu say police have warned them not to protest or “make trouble” after the club’s abrupt financial collapse, and describe themselves as angry, heartbroken and powerless.
Jiangsu said that it had “ceased operations” after its backers, retail conglomerate Suning, who also own Serie A leaders Inter, pulled the plug on Feb. 28.
The club’s sudden implosion came just more than 100 days after Jiangsu won the Chinese Super League for their first domestic title and highlights wider problems undermining China’s bid to be a leading soccer country.
Photo: AFP
Irate supporters have pledged to boycott struggling Suning.
A small group of fans were last week pictured on social media, their faces blurred, outside the Nanjing-based club with a banner reading: “Hot blood is hard to cool, defend the Jiangsu team.”
Liu Yu, a member of a fan group of more than 400 people, said supporters also lobbied outside Jiangsu Province’s government sports office.
However, they have now been warned by authorities against more protests, especially with the annual National People’s Congress under way in Beijing.
“The police called the people in charge of fan groups and told them not to go there anymore because gathering is not allowed, so there’s nothing they can do now,” the 31-year-old accountant said.
Liu said that she has “a very strong sense of powerlessness” and can only stand and watch as the club she loves — which was founded under a different name in 1958 — disintegrates.
Jiangsu have not officially disbanded, but that appears certain to happen, which would make it the highest-profile casualty among more than a dozen Chinese clubs to disappear in little more than a year.
The speed at which Jiangsu went under after the biggest triumph in their history, is especially hard for fans to bear.
“I feel that something very close to my heart suddenly disappeared,” Liu said.
Another fan, who did not wish to be named — underlining how even soccer can be sensitive in communist China — backed up the assertion that “people in charge of the major fan clubs received calls from the police and were asked not to make trouble.”
Chinese state media has tried to cast Jiangsu’s demise, which is expected to soon be followed by that of fellow Chinese Super League outfit Tianjin Tigers, as a chance for Chinese soccer to reset after the heady days of big spending on foreign stars.
Bereft Jiangsu supporters do not share that optimism, but their opinions have been given scarce coverage in the heavily vetted Chinese media.
A Jiangsu supporter who asked to be called “Oscar” went with friends to the club just after its bombshell announcement. They were confronted by five security guards who stopped them taking photographs.
The 25-year-old said that he never trusted Suning and felt the soul of his club was ripped out when it took over in 2015 for 523 million yuan (US$80.26 million at the current exchange rate).
His skepticism about Suning was proved right, he said.
“Everyone knows it now,” he said, calling the company’s treatment of the club “disgusting.”
“So everyone who used to support Suning has started to boycott Suning together,” He said. “For some fans, perhaps for me, the team may be their biggest emotional support. It disappeared so suddenly.”
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
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