Chinese Super League

Last update 6 April, 2024 by Alberto Llopis

The arrival of numerous renowned foreigners to the Chinese Super League has recently aroused the interest of many football fans in Chinese football.. Despite this growing boom, It should be said that the league tournament in the eastern country is not new, but dates its presence from 1994, when Jia A was created.

The objective was none other than to promote football in a country with tremendous potential power, but where the beautiful sport was marginalized to a second or third level. The beginnings of the championship were marked by the creation of various clubs supported by strong companies that tried to bring out young players with which to help the team qualify for the final stages of the World Cup.. In this way, access to a sport was given way to private initiative, which until then only had groups formed by local federations, the army or the police itself.

However, The birth of that league Jia A was doomed to failure very early on.. The collapse of the Chinese team that could not qualify for the World Cup in France 98, financial scandals, Scams and match-fixing led to the loss of interest among fans, leaving league matches in history where they barely attended. 10 personas.

In such a context, in 2004 It was decided to completely remodel the championship and create the current SuperLiga. A championship of 16 teams that play 30 days with all the teams facing each other in a double match. The tournament is held from March to November and its main characteristic is the restriction on the arrival of foreigners to the League.. In order to encourage the departure of new Chinese talents, The Super League only allows each team to have 4 foreign players ( although the inhabitants of Macau or Taiwan are considered locals).

Besides, created a complete financial control and anti-corruption system that served to uncover illegal match bets, that forced the resignation of senior officials of the Chinese federation.

In the last two years, The large capital invested has led to the arrival of renowned stars such as Didier Drogba, Anelka, Canoes, Keita, Rubén Suárez or more recently Lucas Barrios. They, Together with the presence of countless Brazilian footballers, they have the always difficult mission of giving relevance once and for all to a SuperLiga plagued since its beginnings by suspicion and doubt..

TV rights

In China, Central Television was in charge until 2009 to broadcast the championship matches through the CCTV station 5. However, The match buying and illegal betting scandal caused the state channel to refuse to broadcast matches in the competition.. The arrival of new players due to the enormous investments made may make the government study again renegotiating the broadcast of matches.

ANALYSIS

Guangzhou Evergrande is the clear favorite to win the league title. With the arrival of Lucas Barrios, and the presence of Dario Conca form a terrible attack that is also perfectly directed by the experience on the bench of Marcelo Lippi.

Another outsider to take into account is Shanghai Shenshua, team that has a Drogba-Anelka duo that reminds us of the best Chelsea in recent years. With them, The beijing Guoan with the mali cannoué and Joffre Gerón, is proposed as the most serious alternative.