Recently, rumors about deductions for the next season's Chinese Super League (CSL) teams have been rampant, with particular attention focused on Shanghai Shenhua. Previously, bloggers and self-media claimed that the Shenhua management had not received any notice of point deductions. The team's media outlet, "Shenhua Team News," responded to fans by saying "starting from zero next season," further implying that the team would not be penalized with point deductions. However, this official announcement has sparked controversy.
In the previous football environment, the anti-gambling and anti-corruption storm has continued to deepen, involving many high-ranking officials of the Football Association and club personnel. This has placed the entire CSL in a state of great uncertainty. As a traditional powerhouse in the CSL, Shenhua has naturally been caught up in various speculations. Some fans are concerned that the team may be implicated in the football scandal and even face relegation penalties. Therefore, when "Shenhua Team News" released the message "starting from zero next season," some fans couldn't help but speculate whether this meant that the team had indeed been at the brink of relegation before, but now has been spared and can start anew.
However, looking at it from another perspective, Shenhua Club has been actively involved in team management and operations in recent years. According to club management, Shenhua has always operated in accordance with league requirements, actively cooperating with the work of the management department in financial audits and salary payments. Moreover, the club has achieved significant results in optimizing the team structure and controlling costs, such as clearing out highly paid but underperforming players and reasonably planning transfer budgets, laying a solid foundation for the stable development of the team. From this perspective, "starting from zero next season" may just be a reflection of the team's good operational status, unafraid of rumors of point deductions, and able to prepare for the new CSL season in a normal state. This also allows head coach Slavisa Jokanovic to focus on preparations without worries.
Comparing the two guesses, there are deep-seated reasons and influences behind them. If the team once faced the risk of relegation due to the football scandal but eventually got to "start from zero" for the new CSL season, this reflects that Shenhua may have had some problems during this football turmoil. However, it also shows that the team has made achievements in crisis management and rectification, gaining recognition from relevant departments and avoiding more severe punishments. This is undoubtedly a kind of salvation for the team's brand image and fan confidence. Looking at the entire CSL, Shenhua's "escape" also helps maintain the stability of the league's structure, avoiding a significant impact on the commercial value and attention of the league due to the relegation of traditional strong teams.
On the other hand, if the team was not affected by the football scandal at all, "starting from zero next season" is the natural result of its normal operation and active preparation. This demonstrates the importance of Shenhua's compliance operations in the complex football environment, setting an example for other clubs. At the same time, this will further enhance the cohesion and self-confidence within the team, leading them to invest in preparations for the new season under the leadership of head coach Slavisa Jokanovic. The Shenhua management can also quickly renew contracts with key players within the team and complete the iterative upgrade of foreign players early.
Regardless of which guess is closer to the truth, the response from "Shenhua Team News" has temporarily put the hearts of Shenhua fans at ease and gradually clarified the situation of the entire CSL. The performance of Shenhua in the new season will undoubtedly become a focus of attention from all parties. People are looking forward to the team taking "starting from zero" as an opportunity to showcase stronger competitiveness on the CSL stage and contribute positive energy to the development of Chinese football.