Editor's note:
For Chinese football, 2023 is a year of fresh start. Chinanews.com launched the "Chinese Football Re-start" series of planning, focusing on the road to China's football revitalization.
Beijing, April 4 (Zhongxin Net) -- The opening ceremony of the new season of the Chinese Super League was held at the Beijing Workers' Stadium on the evening of 16 April. The long-awaited new season of the Chinese Super League begins.
Witnessed by nearly 5,<> people, the Chinese professional football league has reappeared and started again. Football is finally back in the city and people's lives.
In the opening match, Beijing Guoan drew 1:1 at home to Meizhou Hakka. Ye Chugui scored the first goal for Meizhou Hakka and Zhang Xizhe hit a second-half penalty to help Beijing Guoan equalise.
In other matches of the day, Dalian people 2:1 Nantong Zhiyun, defending champions Wuhan Three Towns lost 0:2 to Shanghai Port, and Zhejiang team 0:2 Changchun Yatai.
The opening ceremony of the new season of the Chinese Super League. Photo by China News Network reporter Bian Liqun
Go home
"Where is this? Beijing! Guoan Guoan, Beijing Guoan! ”
After 1231 days, Beijing Guoan went home, the Chinese Super League went home, and Chinese football went home.
In the new professional football stadium worker, there is even the illusion of being on a World Cup stadium.
Crowds of national security fans around the industrial body, shouts of mountains and tsunamis, press conference halls and media stands full of reporters... These scenes are really long gone.
At the pre-match press conference on the evening of the 14th, Beijing Guoan team coach Stanley also had the same feeling: "Today is the real press conference, this is what football should be, and many people have to thank at such a grand moment." ”
As the first away team to play in the new team, Meizhou Hakka coach Ristic admits that he is very honored and he is happy that Chinese football has returned to the home-and-away system and is back on track.
Beijing Guoan fans on their way to Gongti. Photo by China News Network reporter Bian Liqun
The last time Beijing Guoan really played at home was back on December 2019, 12. At that time, they defeated Shandong Taishan 1:3, and the old worker also completed the curtain call.
And that was the last time the Chinese Super League played an official home-and-away match.
1231 days later, the new professional football stadium returned to China, Beijing Guoan returned home, and the Chinese Super League also went home.
Pre-race workloads. Photo by China News Network reporter Bian Liqun
The 2023 season coincides with the 30th year of the Chinese Professional Football League and the 20th season after the birth of the Chinese Super League.
"This spring seems to have been looking forward to for too long, it is the spring when the Chinese Super League has fully resumed the home-and-away format for three years, it is the spring when the majority of Chinese Super League fans can return to the green field to gather together, and it is the spring that looks forward to Chinese football bidding farewell to the past and moving towards a better future." The organizers of the opening ceremony said.
The opening ceremony of the Chinese Super League. Photo by China News Network reporter Bian Liqun
Hot
Welcoming the Chinese Super League home, there is also the hot football market.
The opening match between Beijing Guoan and Meizhou Hakka was attended by 46818,<> people. The tickets for this game were even speculated to the price of thousands of yuan.
This season, Beijing Guoan annual pass sales are also hot, ordinary annual pass is divided into 2400 yuan, 2000 yuan, 1800 yuan, 1500 yuan, 1200 yuan, 1100 yuan and 950 yuan 7 price points. In just 15 minutes of going on sale, more than 1,<> units have already been sold.
Due to the large number of pre-sale seats in the 2000,2400 yuan and <>,<> yuan stalls, Beijing Guoan also added a number of additional areas for sales. The opening match tickets between the team and Meizhou Hakka were sold out as soon as the tickets were opened.
From the reporter's understanding, the box office of clubs such as Shanghai Shenhua, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, Wuhan Three Towns, and Dalian People is also good.
The scene of the opening match of the Chinese Super League. Photo by China News Network reporter Bian Liqun
wish
Under the hot ball market, Chinese football has restarted and sees more possibilities and hopes for the future.
The brand-new body that meets FIFA standards already gives people the feeling of being in the World Cup.
Under this experience, I believe that more and more people are willing to walk into the stadium. It also creates more possibilities for football to be integrated into people's lives and become a way of life on weekends.
Entrance ceremony for the opening match of the Chinese Super League. Photo by China News Network reporter Bian Liqun
Not only the new work body, Shanghai Stadium, Pudong Football Stadium, Qingdao Youth Football Stadium, Chengdu Phoenix Mountain Football Stadium, including Tianjin Binhai Football Stadium and Dalian Barracuda Bay Football Stadium that will be opened in the second half of the season...
With nearly half of the Chinese Super League teams using professional football stadiums, the fans' viewing experience will be qualitatively changed. More soft power links such as event operation and venue services have also ushered in development opportunities.
There is reason to believe that the Chinese Super League will get better and better in the future. It's our own league, our own team.
Perhaps the Chinese Super League in the post-Jin Yuan era has indeed declined in terms of competitive level, but Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian, Tianjin, Wuhan... The sense of belonging and participation brought by urban attributes is irreplaceable after all.
I hope that football can be further integrated into the city and life in the future. I hope that Chinese football, which has entered the professional league for 30 years, can gradually get on the right track and grow towards the sun! (End)