The year 2024 has become a thing of the past, and as the new year bell of 2025 rings, the time for the resumption of the final four rounds of the top 18 qualifiers is drawing near. The highlight of Chinese football in 2025 will still be the World Cup qualifiers in the Asian region, with the Chinese men's national team making another push for qualification in the final stages. The national team's first appearance in 2025 will be an away challenge against Saudi Arabia, scheduled for 1 AM Beijing time on March 21, 2025. If the national team can create a miracle by defeating Saudi Arabia, the possibility of direct qualification will greatly increase. Saudi Arabia is a traditional powerhouse in Asian football, currently ranked 59th in the world and 8th in Asia. However, the entire year of 2024 was a disaster for the Saudi team. They were eliminated in the round of 16 at the Asian Cup at the beginning of the year, which was their worst performance in the competition. Then, in the group stage of the World Cup qualifiers in the Asian region, Saudi Arabia suffered a surprising home defeat to Jordan in the last round, resulting in the loss of the top spot in the group to Jordan. Consequently, they could only participate in the draw for the top 18 as a third-tier team and were ultimately placed in the "group of death," Group C. Mancini, the famous coach who led Italy to win the European Championship, arrived in Saudi Arabia after the Qatar World…

In the ever-changing landscape of football, Shandong Luneng has recently found itself embroiled in a significant turmoil. The revelation from the well-known journalist "Who's Good at Selling Cute" was like a bombshell, causing concern among the team's fans. It is said that the team faces the risk of being penalized with points deduction and demotion, which is a matter of great importance to the fans, as it concerns the stable development and status of the team in the league. This turmoil involves several personnel from Shandong Luneng. Coach Hao Wei, whose coaching ability and leadership role are self-evident; Jin Jingdao, whose active play on the field is an indispensable part of the team's tactics; Guo Tianyu, the young talent who was once the hope of the team's future but has now gone to play in Thailand; and Sun Zhunhao, who returned to South Korea but is currently unemployed due to a suspension order. These events are like a shroud of mist hanging over the team. "Who's Good at Selling Cute" further revealed that the final outcome for Hao Wei is similar to Jin Jingdao's, probably around three and a half years, expected to end in 2026. This news undoubtedly adds more uncertainty to the team's future development. Despite the official response from Shandong Luneng, stating that they will see each other in the next season of the Chinese Super League (CSL), this response did not completely calm the uneasy hearts of the fans. After all, the shadow of the team being penalized with points deduction and demotion remains like a…

The year 2024 has become a thing of the past, and as the new year bell of 2025 rings, the time for the resumption of the final four rounds of the top 18 qualifiers is drawing near. The highlight of Chinese football in 2025 will still be the World Cup qualifiers in the Asian region, with the Chinese men's national team making another push for qualification in the final stages. The national team's first appearance in 2025 will be an away challenge against Saudi Arabia, scheduled for 1 AM Beijing time on March 21, 2025. If the national team can create a miracle by defeating Saudi Arabia, the possibility of direct qualification will significantly increase. Saudi Arabia is a traditional powerhouse in Asian football, currently ranked 59th in the world and 8th in Asia. However, the entire year of 2024 was a disaster for the Saudi team. They were eliminated in the round of 16 at the Asian Cup at the beginning of the year, which was their worst performance in the competition. Then, in the last round of the group stage in the Asian World Cup qualifiers, they suffered a surprising home defeat to Jordan, resulting in Jordan taking the top spot in the group. Consequently, Saudi Arabia could only participate in the top 18 draw as a third-tier team and was ultimately placed in the "group of death," Group C. Mancini, the famous coach who led Italy to win the European Championship, came to coach Saudi Arabia after the Qatar World Cup. However, following the introduction of European…

As we step into 2025, the various national teams of Chinese men's football are fully prepared to launch a comprehensive offensive on the field, with a series of major competitions coming one after another. The national team is about to engage in the fierce 18-strong competition, while the Olympic team will strive in the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, the youth team aims for outstanding achievements in the U20 Asian Cup finals, and the junior team is also striving to showcase their style in the U17 Asian Cup finals. In addition, the subsequent reserve teams are actively preparing to take over, including the U18 national youth (07 age group) and U16 national junior (09 age group). It is worth noting that the U18 national youth team will become the eligible team to participate in the 2027 U20 Asian Cup, however, the qualifiers are scheduled for September 2026, which makes it difficult for the current age group of the national youth team to officially form. Given this, at present, training camps or selection camps can only be organized under the names of "training camp" or "selection camp." At the same time, the head coach has not been determined yet, and the 44-year-old Zheng Zhi has become the hottest candidate for the head coach. Half a month ago, the Football Association successfully held the second phase of the 2007 age group elite player training camp this year at the beautiful Hainan Mission Hills Training Base in Haikou. In this training camp, most of the players are expected to become the backbone of the…

Recently, former national football team coach Li Xiaopeng will officially appear in the Shandong football circle, coaching his hometown team Qingdao Seacow. Li Xiaopeng's abilities and prestige in Chinese football are no worse than Gao Hongbo's, the only thing he can't compare with is that Gao Hongbo once led Yatai to win the 07 season Super League championship. Li Xiaopeng has never won a championship with his team, and the closest he has ever been to a championship was when he led Luneng to the FA Cup final twice. If it had been a one-game winner-takes-all FA Cup final format at the time, Li Xiaopeng would have created the feat of leading Luneng to win the FA Cup championship twice in a row. However, Li Xiaopeng's luck was very bad, as he encountered a two-leg FA Cup final. Li Xiaopeng won the first leg both times, but was overturned by his opponents in the second leg. Therefore, Li Xiaopeng failed to lead the Shandong Taishan team to win the FA Cup championship and join the ranks of domestic championship-winning coaches. The highlight of Li Xiaopeng's coaching career later on was serving as the head coach of the national football team. Objectively speaking, Li Xiaopeng's appointment as the head coach of the national football team this time was purely a case of being forced into action. At that time, Li Tie, who was coaching the national football team late in his tenure, was heavily criticized by fans, making many fans feel that he should step down. The Chinese Football Association, under…

Shanghai Port's official account recently shared a letter from FIFA President Gianni Infantino congratulating the team on their championship victory, which made many Shanghai Port fans feel very honored. Infantino has always been very concerned about the development of Shanghai Port, even wearing the team's jersey during his visit to the club. Therefore, many Shanghai Port fans jokingly refer to Infantino as the club's most prominent foreign aid. Upon seeing Infantino send a congratulatory letter for Shanghai Port's CSL title, Shandong Luneng fans couldn't sit still. In memory, Luneng did not receive a congratulatory letter from the FIFA President when they won the CSL title in the 2021 season. Last season, Shanghai Port indeed performed well in the CSL and FA Cup, withstanding immense pressure in multiple key matches. Especially in the FA Cup final against Luneng, the team's mainstay Wu Lei was unable to play, greatly affecting the team's attacking power. Therefore, whether Shanghai Port could defeat the FA Cup champion in the final was a huge unknown. Fortunately, under heavy pressure, Shanghai Port unleashed tremendous fighting strength, eventually presenting a multi-flowering trend in the attack, defeating Luneng 3-1 to win the championship. This was the first time Shanghai Port had won the FA Cup championship, bringing great comfort to the "Chongming Island Five Tigers" led by Lü Wengjun. Lü Wengjun, Wu Lei, Yan Junling, and other members of the Chongming Island Five Tigers have served Shanghai Port for many years, establishing remarkable achievements for the club. Prior to this in their careers, they had already won three CSL…

The "earthquake" in Chinese football is not far away as we enter 2025. According to multiple media figures and journalists, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) will announce the entry list within a week, with the names of Guangzhou FC and Cangzhou Mighty Lions likely absent. This month, the CFA has published twice the list of clubs that have completed debt repayment, with all teams from China's three-tier league successfully passing. However, after these two lists were announced, many teams received complaints, among which Guangzhou FC and Cangzhou Mighty Lions received the most, also having the greatest impact. Guangzhou FC faced public confrontations from former players like Wei Shihao, while Cangzhou Mighty Lions was questioned by ten players. Naturally, these two clubs became the focus of the CFA's investigation. This week, Cangzhou Mighty Lions released a statement claiming that the team had raised sufficient funds. However, the timing of the funds' arrival was one day later than the stipulated deadline. According to regulations, the CFA cannot allow Cangzhou to pass the entry. As a result, the Cangzhou Mighty Lions players collectively appealed to the CFA for leniency. Media figure Miao Yuan revealed that the CFA will announce the final entry list within a week. "We will see what the final entry list for the three-tier leagues looks like in the coming week; everyone can wait and look forward to it." However, the list may not include the names of Cangzhou and Guangzhou FC. Journalist Li Xuan emphasized, "So far, there is no news that Cangzhou Mighty Lions might pass the entry,…

China's Football Association experienced a significant reshuffle in its upper echelons in 2023, with several high-ranking figures falling from grace, leaving the entire football world on edge due to an anti-corruption storm. The new chairman, Song Kai, must feel the immense pressure he faces. His upcoming tasks are more challenging than leveling up in a game, as the confidence in the football world has almost collapsed, and the management system is like scattered sand, lacking any discernible organizational strength. In contrast, Saudi Arabia has begun methodically preparing to bid for the 2034 World Cup, even starting the bidding process with FIFA, quickly completing most of the preparations. Looking at China, which has just replaced its leadership, everything must start from scratch, from resource integration to plan formulation; all these tasks must be tackled step by step. With such limited time, it was impossible to meet the submission deadline for the FIFA bidding materials, resulting in a complete failure. Regarding the bidding, who can't say the truth? Isn't this an old problem that has accumulated since China's failed World Cup bid in 2009? Over a decade has passed, and not only have the problems not been resolved, but they have accumulated even more. Management changes have led to a deeply rooted trust crisis. Without sufficient competitiveness, how could one think of applying for the World Cup, assuming they could secure a seat through the host country status? It's embarrassing even to think about it. Some netizens say: "I don't know whether to laugh or cry; Saudi Arabia is already prepared, while…

Cangzhou Lions Club has issued an open letter, attaching signatures from many players. At the same time, many players and staff have chosen to support the club under the Football Association. For a moment, whether Cangzhou Lions Club, which already has 60 million on its books, should pass the entry has become a focus of public opinion. However, does money reaching the club's account equal solving wage arrears? After Cangzhou Lions Club sent out an open letter, media quickly exposed that if it passes the entry, there will be a larger amount of funds than 60 million RMB transferred to the club's account. If this news is true, Cangzhou Lions Club, which has been short of money in recent years, may be able to get rid of financial difficulties in the new season. It is also because they saw 60 million RMB lying on the club's account that many players who were owed wages reached a reconciliation with the club over past salary issues. If Cangzhou Lions Club solves the problem, it is naturally justified to pass the entry. However, the problem is that after the 60 million arrived on December 26th, it is still lying on the club's account, and it has not been used to pay back wages to the players in the past two days. From December 18th, after the Football Association announced the second batch of completed debt-clearing list, many people including Zheng Kaimu publicly raised doubts. During the publicity period, the Football Association received 26 appeals about Cangzhou Lions Club. The Football Association once sent…

Currently, the Chinese Super League is still in the off-season, but the start time for the new season has been determined. The issue of league entry for the new season has also received special attention from fans. At present, most of the Chinese Super League teams are relatively safe, and there are no major problems in obtaining entry for next season. In particular, Wuhan Three Towns, which previously had a risk of dissolution, now has a new sponsor, and local authorities are also strongly supportive, so their crisis can be considered temporarily resolved. However, there is still one team that is on the brink of dissolution, which is Cangzhou Mighty Lions. The crisis of Cangzhou Mighty Lions actually erupted a long time ago. Last season, the team's foreign aid Oscar chose to leave the team at a critical moment due to arrears issues. Although the team eventually completed the relegation task, the crisis during this off-season has not been resolved. The issue of arrears is still causing a stir. It is reported that Cangzhou Mighty Lions fell into a serious financial dilemma during this off-season, and the players' wages have been delayed. Although the Football Association previously announced that Cangzhou Mighty Lions had completed the entry, both domestic players and foreign aids of the club have voiced their demands for wages on social media. Among them, Cangzhou players Zheng Kaimu, Wang Peng, Mo Xuchen, Wen Da, and others even made a fuss at the Football Association. They united to demand wages, with great momentum. Foreign aid Oscar even took Cangzhou…