According to the plan, the second stage of the Chinese Super League will be held in Suzhou and Guangzhou from December 12 to January 4 next year.
Affected by the epidemic and other factors, the Chinese Football Association and the Chinese Football Confederation's preparatory team have given up inviting foreign (non-Chinese Football Association) referees to China to enforce the Chinese Super League, the Super League play-offs and the Football Association Cup finals and other major events.
"Foreign whistle" absent from domestic football competition enforcement throughout the season, this is the first time in the past 11 seasons.
With the end of the two rounds of this month's top 12 matches and return to China, the second stage of the Chinese Super League has also entered the countdown to the start.
The Beijing Youth Daily reporter was informed that all local referees participating in the second stage of the Super League, the Football Association Cup finals, and the Super League play-offs will be local referees.
In the past six months or so, five Chinese Football Association-registered international referees have participated in the AFC Champions League, Tokyo Olympics, Qatar World Preliminary Asian Top 12, U23 Asian Cup qualifiers and women’s football club championships. Ning, Fu Ming, Shen Yinhao, Cao Yi, and Shi Xiang returned to Shanghai from Amman, Jordan via Dubai, UAE, and Amsterdam, Netherlands, on the 23rd of this month, and were under quarantine observation in accordance with regulations.
If nothing else, they will return to the Chinese Super League with Zhang Lei, another international referee who had previously participated in overseas law enforcement and returned to China in advance.
Another active Chinese Football Association registered international referee Wang Di, as an expert in the refereeing circle, had previously traveled with the national football delegation to the UAE to prepare and compete, and returned to China with the delegation on the 18th.
Normally, he can also participate in the second phase of law enforcement in the Super League.
Since the second stage of the Chinese Super League involves major competitive interests such as relegation and championship competition, the Chinese Football Association and the Chinese Football Confederation's preparatory team must ensure that the epidemic prevention and competition organization work is complete, but also need to strictly grasp the details at some technical levels.
The selection of referees is one of the important details.
Fortunately, after Ma Ning, Fu Ming, Shen Yinhao, Wang Di and other registered international referees "returned to the team" one after another, the pressure of the tournament organizers on the assignment of referees for league and cup matches can be eased.
As long as these referees are successfully released from the isolation, they will be assigned to the enforcement scene of each important game.
Text/Reporter Xiao Zhe