Beijing, March 3 (Zhongxin Net) (Reporter Bian Liqun) At the media communication meeting held on the 29th, the access list for the new season of the Chinese Football Professional League was finally released.

Eight clubs, including Guangzhou City, Kunshan FC, Hebei FC, Wuhan FC and Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic, failed to pass the access and will withdraw from the Chinese Professional Football League.

Counting carefully, in the nearly four years of the "post-Jin Yuan era" of Chinese football, a total of 39 professional football clubs have fallen into the abyss of "death". The pain and struggle of Chinese football continues.

It is worth noting that at the same time as the press conference, the website of the Hubei Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision issued a notice saying that Yu Hongchen, chairman of the Chinese Athletic Association, is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law, and is currently under review and investigation by the discipline inspection and supervision team of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the State Supervision Commission stationed in the State General Administration of Sport and the Hubei Provincial Supervision Commission. He has worked in the Chinese football system for a long time and served as the vice president of the Chinese Football Association.

Media communication meeting. Photo by China News Network reporter Bian Liqun

Team 4 disbanded in 39 years

As early as January 1 this year, the Wuhan Yangtze River team, which was relegated to the Chinese League One, issued the "Explanation on No More Participation in the Men's Professional Football League", which kicked off the annual "withdrawal curtain" in Chinese football.

More than two months later, the entry list for the new season of the Chinese professional football league has finally been settled.

Spring is a time of revival. But in recent years, Chinese football has been experiencing "spring cold" at every moment.

Wuhan Yangtze River announced its withdrawal from the professional league

The reporter combed and found that in the nearly 4 years since the "post-golden yuan era", a total of 39 professional football clubs have disappeared.

Among them, as many as 2020 professional teams withdrew in 14, including the "Ten Champions" Liaozu, and Tianjin Tianhai (formerly known as Tianjin Quanjian) who "called the wind and rain" during the Jin Yuan period.

A total of 2021 professional teams "died" in 6, and although the number has declined, the sudden exit of defending champion Jiangsu is undoubtedly a bombshell that hits the already fragile league system.

A total of 2022 professional teams have become history in 11, including many veteran teams Chongqing. What is even more embarrassing is that the time node of Chongqing's fall is only one week before the start of the new season. Chongqing fans are infinitely sad, and Chinese football has also lost a team with local characteristics.

In 2023, a total of 8 professional teams will withdraw, including Guangzhou City, Kunshan Team, Hebei Team, Wuhan Yangtze River, Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic, Zibo Qiju, Beitai University, and Xinjiang Tianshan Snow Leopard.

It is worth mentioning that following the withdrawal of Tianjin Tianhai in the 2020 season, Jiangsu in the 2021 season, Chongqing in the 2022 season, Guangzhou City and Kunshan in the 2023 season, this is the fourth consecutive year that a Chinese Super League team has not escaped the fate of dissolution.

In the 2020 season, Jiangsu lifted the first Chinese Super League championship trophy in the team's history, but then announced its withdrawal. Official photo courtesy of Chinese Super League/IC photo

The share reform has fallen into difficulties

Like the Chongqing team, which reluctantly quit last year, Guangzhou City also fell before the start of the new season because of historical debts.

It is understood that the state-owned consortium composed of GAC and other groups took over the Guangzhou City team last year and undertook the daily operation of the team, but did not bear the debts left by R&F in the "Golden Yuan period", which became a major obstacle in the share reform process of the Guangzhou City team, which directly affected the access work of this season.

Not only Guangzhou City, but also Chinanews.com reporters found in previous interviews that many clubs in the process of share reform have encountered similar problems.

In the "Overall Plan for the Reform and Development of Chinese Football" issued in 2015, it was clearly proposed to try to promote the reform of club equity diversification. A major purpose of this policy is to enhance the mutual restraint of equity parties through the diversification of the club's equity, strengthen the stability of the club, and avoid the situation that a single investor stops blood transfusion and the club immediately closes.

However, in reality, the historical debt left by domestic clubs in the "Golden Yuan Period" has become one of the obstacles to promoting the reform of club equity diversification.

Data map: Guangzhou derby during the Jin Yuan period. Guangzhou City (White) has now reluctantly withdrawn, and eight-time champion Guangzhou (Red) has been reduced to the Central League. Photo by China News Agency reporter Chen Jimin

As one of the representative teams of the "Golden Yuan Era" of Chinese football, the withdrawal of the Hebei team is also expected.

Last season, they were plagued by wage arrears, and with a group of youth troops in the Chinese Super League, they won 2 wins and 32 losses, plus they were penalized for unresolved historical debts, and accumulated 3 points throughout the season, which became an unprecedented "spectacle" in the Chinese Super League.

The Chinese Super League "promoted horse" Kunshan team failed to pass the pass at the end of last year, but the situation has taken a sharp turn this year, and until now it has not completed the pre-season assembly, and the team's social media has not been updated since February 2, and the failure to pass the admission is also expected.

The Kunshan team's most recent social media feed stopped at Lantern Festival blessings

There is an urgent need for autohematopoiesis

Looking at the list of clubs that failed to pass the access, objectively speaking, most of them have a weak fan base and heritage. In this case, if the blood supply of the investor is lost, the fate of "death" is preordained.

Of course, a team with a fan base does not necessarily have a better time.

For example, Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic, which unfortunately failed to pass the access, the club once tried to adopt a membership system to help itself, which was divided into four levels: 500 yuan, 1000 yuan/1300 yuan, 10000 yuan, and 100000 yuan.

Statistics from the club show that more than 9000,<> fans have purchased club members and packages. However, according to the reporter of China News Network, this income is still not enough to pay off the historical debt of the club.

Data map: In 2021, fans left emotional messages on the glass façade of TEDA Football Stadium. However, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, which was on the verge of disbanding at that time, finally staged a reversal of access. Image source: IC photo

In the final analysis, in the ebb and flow of Golden Yuan football, the survival of the fittest is a normal phenomenon, and it is inevitable that domestic professional football clubs will experience a painful period.

This requires the club to enhance its self-hematopoietic ability, steadily increase business development, and earn "hard money".

Although the efforts of Shaanxi Chang'an Athletics ended in failure, they are a useful attempt and the trend of the times.

Only in this way will domestic professional football clubs completely remove the "pseudo-professional" label and have stronger independence and autonomy, and Chinese professional football can have a sustainable development outlet.

Otherwise, the Jiangsu team's yesterday and Shaanxi's today can become the tomorrow of any club. (End)