The evaluation of the neutral naming policy has always been mixed. Some people believe that the neutral naming policy hinders the enthusiasm of investors, and since the interests of investors are not guaranteed, they naturally reduce their investment in football clubs, leading to the current widespread wage arrears. On the other hand, some people think that this may be one of the few good policies proposed during Chen Xuyuan's tenure, avoiding commercialized names and enhancing a sense of belonging, allowing the names of old teams to return to their original state.
In response to the significant drawback of the neutral name affecting club revenue, Song Kai proposed a new solution after taking office, which is to allow the team within the club to be commercially named instead of renaming the club. Although the income from naming the team is not high, it is still a way for the club to increase its commercial income. Recently, Shandong Taishan Club announced the launch of business recruitment for 2025, seeking a title sponsor for the first team and a partner for the jersey advertising space.
Shandong Taishan issued an announcement to recruit sponsors for team naming and jersey stadium advertising within the club. This includes naming the first team and various youth teams. Last season, the B team of Taishan found a local liquor company as its title sponsor. If Taishan can find a title sponsor this season, the team will participate in competitions under the name of "Shandong Taishan Something Team," which will be displayed at all locations where the team's name is shown in domestic competitions, such as match posters and broadcast footage. Since the name must be "Shandong Taishan Something Team," there will be no names like "Shandong Luneng Taishan Team," but only "Shandong Taishan Luneng Team."
The name "Shandong Luneng" has always been familiar and openly used by fans. If Luneng is willing to be the title sponsor of the first team, the team can return to the name "Shandong Taishan Luneng." If the sponsorship continues, this name will persist. Of course, this approach does not conflict with the neutral naming policy because the club will still maintain the name "Shandong Taishan," which is considered the best solution under the current neutral naming policy for clubs.
Last season, Taishan did not find a title sponsor or have a jersey front advertisement. It is hoped that the team can find one this season to increase income and alleviate financial pressure. In fact, the neutral naming policy is good, but the timing of its implementation was not quite right. However, after Song Kai took office, it is unlikely to change, as frequent changes would be even more detrimental to the development of the league. Therefore, it is relatively reasonable to continue with the current approach, which has not had a significant impact on Taishan but has had the greatest impact on small and medium-sized teams.