Neutral names are once again the subject of ridicule. According to the latest news from Football News, another Chinese Super League (CSL) team is set to change cities, with Cangzhou Lions being reabsorbed by Shijiazhuang. This comes four years after the team moved from Shijiazhuang to Cangzhou, and now they are set to return to their original city. This means that the team's neutral name will change again, and it is unlikely that they will revert to their previous name, Shijiazhuang Yongchang. As a result, the team is expected to have its third name change in just four years, which is more frequent than when naming rights were allowed!
The latest news is that Cangzhou Lions' wage arrears of around 100 million yuan have seen significant progress. The Cangzhou authorities have fulfilled their previous promise, providing 60 million yuan in funds upfront, with additional supporting funds to follow. However, Cangzhou Lions will not remain in Cangzhou, as Shijiazhuang is set to take over the CSL team. This suggests that Cangzhou may struggle to continue funding the team's future expenses, leaving them reliant on Shijiazhuang.
Cangzhou Lions' predecessor was Shijiazhuang Yongchang, a name that was used for seven years until the Chinese Football Association introduced the neutral name policy in 2021. This led to the team's relocation to Cangzhou and the adoption of the neutral name, Cangzhou Lions. However, just four years later, the team is forced to return home to Shijiazhuang, meaning that the Cangzhou Lions name will only have been used for four years. If the Chinese Football Association continues to promote neutral names in the future, Cangzhou Lions will need to change their name again, and it is unlikely that they will be able to revert to Shijiazhuang Yongchang.
Another issue is that the local team, Shijiazhuang Gongfu, has gained considerable support from local fans in the China League One. Now, with another professional team coming to Shijiazhuang, fans face a difficult choice: should they support the once-beloved Shijiazhuang Yongchang, which left for many years and is now returning in dire straits, or the emerging team that has been steadily by their side in recent years?
The team has already missed the deadline by one day for submitting materials to resolve wage arrears, leaving Cangzhou Lions' future uncertain. However, since the Football Association does not want any teams to disband, there is still hope for Cangzhou Lions to survive. Once the team survives, determining a new team name and regaining the support of Shijiazhuang fans will be objective challenges that the team must face! (Lao Qiu)