The 2024 Chinese Super League season is about to kick off on March 1, which is a new starting point for Chinese football after a series of reforms and rectifications. What are the changes in the Chinese Super League in the new season? What are the challenges and opportunities for each club? Let's take a look.
First of all, the new season of the Chinese Super League has a big adjustment in the foreign aid policy, each team can register 6 foreign aids, of which 1 is a foreign player, and no more than 5 foreign aides will appear at the same time. This means that the level of competition in the Chinese Super League will be improved, and fans will also see more international stars in the Chinese arena. In addition, the referees of the new season will also receive stricter training and supervision to ensure the fairness and impartiality of the game.
Secondly, the new season of the Chinese Super League has also made a major breakthrough in business operations, and the Chinese Football Association allows clubs to name the first team and echelon teams to increase the club's income**. The introduction of this policy undoubtedly provides new possibilities for the survival and development of the club. However, there are certain restrictions on the object and content of the title, which must be in line with the overall image and brand strategy of Chinese football, and must not contain false, misleading or infringing information, nor may it be associated with the shareholders or actual controllers of the club.
However, despite the progress made in the Chinese Super League in terms of foreign aid and naming, the business situation of the clubs is still not optimistic. It is reported that among the 16 teams in the Chinese Super League, only the Henan team has successfully won the naming right, and the remaining 15 teams are still looking for suitable sponsors. The title sponsor of the Henan team is Luoyang Dukang, a local veteran wine company, and the team name for the new season is "Henan Jiuzu Dukang". The naming of other teams is still unclear, and some teams have not even sold the advertising space of the jersey, such as Shandong Taishan, although it signed the partner behind the advertisement, but the words "Shandong Taishan" are still on the chest.
The title crisis of the Chinese Super League reflects that the brand value of Chinese football is not high enough to attract enough attention and investment from sponsors. The brand value of the Chinese Super League is closely related to the overall level and international influence of Chinese football. In recent years, Chinese football has experienced a series of lows and turmoil, with poor results of the national football team, low quality of the league, corruption and shady scenes, all of which have seriously affected the image and reputation of Chinese football. Although the Chinese Football Association has taken some measures in the new round of "anti-corruption and anti-crime", it will take more time and effort to truly change the status quo of Chinese football.
The title crisis of the Chinese Super League also reflects the lack of maturity and professionalism in the business model of Chinese football, and the lack of effective market-oriented operation and long-term planning. At present, the main income of the Chinese Super League** is the copyright fee, and the level of the copyright fee is affected by the quality and attractiveness of the league. The main expenses of the club are the player's salary and transfer fees, which are often higher than the income, resulting in a strained financial situation for the club. Although the Chinese Football Association has limited the investment and expenditure of clubs in the new policy, this can only play a certain alleviating role and cannot fundamentally solve the problem. In order for the Chinese Super League and clubs to truly move towards healthy and sustainable development, it is also necessary for the clubs themselves to strengthen internal management, improve hematopoietic capacity, develop diversified income channels, reduce dependence on foreign aid, cultivate local players, and build a century-old club.
The title crisis of the Chinese Super League also reflects that the development environment of Chinese football is not good enough, and there is a lack of sufficient social support and public participation. At present, the main audience of Chinese football is still fans, and the quantity and quality of fans need to be improved. On the one hand, the downturn and negativity of Chinese football have caused many fans to lose their confidence and enthusiasm for Chinese football, and even turn to support teams from other countries and leagues. On the other hand, the development of Chinese football has not yet formed a sufficient social consensus and public opinion base, and many people do not understand and agree with the importance and significance of Chinese football, and even have some prejudices and misunderstandings. In order for the Chinese Super League and clubs to get more title sponsors, it is also necessary to enhance the social influence and public awareness of Chinese football, increase the social value and public welfare of Chinese football, attract more social forces and public participation, and form a good development atmosphere and environment.
In short, the title crisis of the Chinese Super League is a difficult problem and an opportunity in the development of Chinese football. It has exposed some problems and shortcomings of Chinese football, and has also inspired some reforms and progress in Chinese football. As long as we can face up to the problems, actively respond to them, and continue to improve, the Chinese Super League and clubs will be able to find their own development path and contribute to the rise and revitalization of Chinese football.