When Choi Kang-hee first took over Shandong Taishan, he was in the limelight. Everyone knew that he was a famous coach from South Korea, with remarkable achievements at multiple clubs. Especially in the Asian football scene, he had a well-known reputation. Back in 2022, he suddenly took charge of Shandong Taishan, replacing Hao Wei. At that time, expectations were sky-high, as Choi Kang-hee's coaching record in South Korea was impressive, and the teams he led performed well. Many fans believed that Shandong Taishan had found a great coach and would likely see significant success. Honestly, Choi Kang-hee's first season did not disappoint; at least, he did not make any major mistakes. The team's structure was already well-established during Hao Wei's tenure, so he only needed to make minor adjustments, streamline the lineup, and maintain stable performance. Although it wasn't a spectacular display, the team managed to maintain a reasonable level and didn't falter. Some fans even hailed him as Emperor Kangxi, believing that he was truly a capable coach with great potential. However, cracks began to appear in the second season. Choi Kang-hee's recruitment moves were disastrous! To name a few, the "glass men" players he brought in, especially Pato and Zecca, looked good on paper but performed poorly on the field. There were also players like Messi Wako who joined the team, which not only failed to enhance the team's strength but made the already shaky Taishan team even more chaotic. What's even more incomprehensible is that Choi Kang-hee introduced some of his former players, including Bi Jin-hao and…

Recently, blogger "CSL Observer" revealed that Guoan's young players Liang Shaowen and Ruan Qilong, who were loaned out last season, are likely to leave the team. This news once again pushed the issue of talent loss in Guoan to the forefront. As the manager of the team, Li Ming is hard to escape responsibility! His presence at Guoan is simply a nightmare for Beijing fans. This person only cares about keeping his cronies, but turns a blind eye to many capable and promising young people, allowing them to slip away. Under his leadership, Guoan has become nothing but a name without a soul! After Zhonghe Group took over Guoan, it was hoped that they would bring new vitality, but it turned out to be just an empty shell disguised as Beijing. How can there be the essence of Beijing if one does not understand its flavor? They simply do not understand the hearts of Guoan fans! Renewing contracts with Wang Gang and Chi Zhongguo occupied precious registration spots, while Zhang Xizhe's performance plummeted after renewing his contract, lacking stamina. Such operations are hindering the transition between old and new players, ruining the bright future of Guoan! In fact, Guoan once had a short period where they raised a "youth storm." Back then, Stanley led a group of young players, intending to replace the older players and create a new Guoan. But what happened? In the second year, he was fired due to poor results, and the young players were "dispersed," while the older players returned to the field. What exactly…

Dust Settles! FA Official Announcement: 3 Teams Fail to Qualify: 8-time Champion Guangzhou Team + Super League Cangzhou Lions Included Focusing on sports news, paying attention to Chinese football. On January 6th, Beijing time, the Chinese Football Association officially announced the list of clubs qualified for the 2025 season's professional league on its official website. This list covers the three levels of professional leagues: Super League, China League One, and China League Two, with a total of 52 clubs participating in the qualification review. Among them, 49 clubs successfully obtained the qualification for the new season. Unfortunately, three clubs, Cangzhou Lions from the Super League, Guangzhou Team from China League One, and Hunan Xiangtan from China League Two, failed to pass the qualification review. If there is no turnaround in the future, they may disappear from the map of Chinese professional football. Previously, while announcing the qualification list, the Football Association also made it clear that for clubs that did not obtain qualification due to wage arrears and debts, it will continue to follow up and handle them according to relevant regulations. This statement has aroused widespread attention from fans and media people. After all, the problem of wage arrears in clubs has always been a chronic disease in Chinese football, and this statement by the Football Association shows its determination to solve this problem. After the announcement of the list, Li Xuan, a media person from "Football," analyzed the three clubs that failed to qualify. Li Xuan pointed out that many clubs that only do accounting but have not…

Translation of the article content into English: The Chinese Football Association has announced the final list of teams that have passed the entry requirements. Among them, three teams—Cangzhou Mighty Lions from the Chinese Super League (CSL), Guangzhou FC from the China League One, and Hunan Billows from the China League Two—have failed to meet the criteria and are facing disbandment. Meizhou Hakka will replace one of these teams in the CSL, which is closely related to Dalian Yiben. The relegation battle for Dalian Yiben has shifted from Cangzhou to Meizhou Hakka. These two teams have a special connection; last season, Meizhou loaned Kotnik to Dalian, helping the team secure promotion. With the entry process completed, transfer activities for CSL teams will gradually increase. Dalian Yiben has been training in Haikou for several days, where many CSL teams are also conducting their winter training. Several friendly matches have been scheduled, including games against Beijing Guoan, Shanghai Shenhua, and Chongqing Long. Players such as Huang Zihao, Cao Haiqing, and Wang Chengkai have joined the training sessions. Dalian Yiben is currently most in need of central defenders and right backs. According to Liu Xiangyu, a reporter from Football News, Dalian Yiben has targeted a national-level central defender and an attacking player for domestic transfers. In the current transfer market, the most suitable national-level central defender who is available is He Guan from Shanghai Port. Over the past two seasons, he has been on loan elsewhere. If he were to join Dalian Yiben, it would significantly strengthen the defensive line, allowing Jin Pengfei to…

Recently, the transfer market in the Chinese Super League has been quite active. Players are increasingly focusing not just on big contracts, but on stable paychecks. Many players now prioritize clubs that can ensure stable income over simply choosing the highest bidder. This shift has made certain clubs particularly attractive. Teams like Shanghai Port, Shanghai Shenhua, and Chengdu Rongcheng have caught the attention of domestic players due to their financial stability and well-run operations, ensuring reliable salary payments. The business environment and financial status of football clubs in China are no longer secrets. In recent years, several clubs have faced financial turmoil, mismanagement, and wage arrears scandals. However, football is more than just playing the game; it relies on a strong financial backing. Without funds, even the best players would struggle. Domestic player transfers are no longer solely about which club is willing to spend the most money. Players now emphasize the importance of receiving consistent wages. A club's poor management, despite offering high contracts, is not an attractive proposition for players. Beijing Guoan, for example, has a strong financial background and stable operations, with no significant issues in salary payments. They quickly resolved a wage arrears issue following a FIFA penalty, demonstrating their operational competence. Shanghai Port, known for its substantial financial resources, is a top choice for domestic players, as it guarantees salaries without worrying about failed transfers. Shanghai Shenhua has also seen significant improvements in its business operations, thanks to the support of Juss Group, resolving historical issues and entering a fast track in team operations. Chengdu…

Translation of the content: During the off-season of the Chinese Super League (CSL), five clubs have completed coaching changes, including Beijing Guoan, Zhejiang Team, Wuhan Three Towns, Qingdao Hainiu, and Shenzhen New Pegasus City. At the end of the CSL 24 season, Beijing Guoan parted ways with Suarez in a peaceful manner. Replacing him is former Barcelona coach Quique Setien. Setien is a typical Spanish-style coach who advocates attacking football and prefers possession play, insisting on keeping the ball on the ground. His tactical system should be quite suitable for Beijing Guoan, which currently has many young players with ideas. Zhejiang Team has parted ways with Jodi, and the new coach is likely to be Raul Caneda, a close associate of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. The progress so far indicates that both the Zhejiang Team's coaching selection group and Caneda are satisfied with each other, and only need the final approval from the management. Coach Cado-Rodriguez, who led Wuhan Three Towns in the CSL 24 season, has joined the Japanese J-League team, Kashiwa Reysol. It is reported that replacing him will be Portuguese coach Felipe Martins. This coach has been active in the Portuguese league and achieved his best result by leading his team to promotion to the Primeira Liga. The new coach of Qingdao Hainiu is Li Xiaopeng, the former national team coach, who coached Cangzhou Mighty Lions last season. Li, a native of Qingdao, has also coached Qingdao before, making his return a triumphant homecoming. Joining Li Xiaopeng at Qingdao Hainiu is also former international player Hao…

Recently, according to domestic football insiders, Changchun Yatai's midfield core, Liao Chengjian, is highly likely to join Wuhan Three Towns during the winter transfer window. Liao's contract with his former club Yatai has expired, which means he will join as a free agent. As a result, Wuhan Three Towns can acquire this prime midfielder without spending a single penny, bringing great comfort to many fans. Liao has been an absolute mainstay in Yatai's lineup over the past three seasons. Whenever Yatai finds themselves in a deadlock during matches, Liao is always the first to step up. Known for his relentless energy on the field, Liao dedicates himself fully to every game. His move to Wuhan Three Towns should allow him to perfectly replace Zhang Xiaobin. Zhang is an absolute hero for Wuhan Three Towns, having been a key player since their time in the China League One. Wuhan Three Towns' promotion from League One to the Chinese Super League (CSL) and their championship-winning season after promotion were largely due to Zhang's contributions. Despite encountering wage arrears issues over the past two seasons, Zhang did not choose to leave Wuhan Three Towns immediately. Instead, he remained with the team for two seasons, earning the recognition of the fans. Now that Zhang's contract with Wuhan Three Towns has expired, he has chosen not to continue. Therefore, Wuhan Three Towns needs to strengthen their midfield once again. Coincidentally, Yatai's starting midfielder Liao Chengjian's contract with the club has also expired. Wuhan Three Towns has signed Liao for free and offered him a lucrative…

On January 5th, Beijing time, Beijing Guoan has officially assembled in Haikou to start the second phase of winter training preparations for the new season. Since the end of the first phase of physical fitness reserve stage of winter training on December 28 last year, the main task of this Haikou winter training will shift to team lineup integration and tactical drills. At the same time, the foreign coaching team led by the newly appointed Spanish head coach Quique Setién will join the team, and Setién will officially begin his coaching career at Guoan Club. Setién completed his signing with Guoan in December last year before returning to Spain to deal with personal affairs. He arranged for his chief assistant coach Ramio to stay behind to lead Guoan through the first phase of winter training. As a coach who has coached La Liga giants Barcelona, Setién is undoubtedly the most prominent coach in the current Chinese Super League (CSL). In recent seasons, Beijing Guoan has experienced frequent changes in foreign coaches, but the team's performance has not improved. After finishing only fourth in the CSL last season, this forced the Guoan management to make another coaching change decision. The controversial former Portuguese head coach, Suárez, left, and was replaced by the more famous former Barcelona coach Quique Setién. The opinions on Guoan's new coach selection are mixed. The 66-year-old Setién is a professional coach trained by the Spanish football system, with a rich coaching resume. His coaching style is typical of the possession and control technical flow route favored by…

Translation of the article content into English: The latest training list of the Chinese men's national football team includes a total of 32 players, with detailed personnel distribution as shown in the figure. The author discovered three major characteristics in this list and also saw hope for the future of Chinese football. Let's discuss them together. Feature One: No Longer Superstitious About the CSL Champion Team In this list, only two players from the Chinese Super League (CSL) champions Shanghai Port were selected (Wei Zhen and Yan Junling), one of whom is a goalkeeper. This indicates that the national team is no longer blindly superstitious about champion teams but instead focuses more on real strength, which is a good thing. Winning a league championship is closely related to the team's operating funds and the level of foreign players, and does not necessarily reflect the strength of domestic players. Even if they have the ability, willingness and chemistry are also important considerations. In the 2024 CSL season, Shanghai Port had an impressive lineup of foreign players, with a significant tactical presence and influence. I believe Ivan Kozlovski would have taken note of this. In contrast, teams like Beijing Guoan, Shanghai Shenhua, Shandong Taishan, and Chengdu Rongcheng have become major contributors to the national team. Selected players include defenders from Shenhua, midfielders from Taishan, wingers from Rongcheng, and forwards from Guoan. These players can be evaluated by everyone; are they among the best in the domestic league? I think so, and I believe Ivan has a keen eye and unique insights in…

On January 6th, Beijing time, Ceará SC, a team from the Brazilian second division, announced that their 27-year-old striker, Minero, has officially joined Shanghai Shenhua, the runner-up of last season's Chinese Super League. The transfer fee is $950,000, equivalent to about 7 million yuan RMB. Minero has become Shenhua's first signing in the winter window of 2025 and will replace Malele, who has left the team, for the new season. Subsequently, Minero himself also posted on social media, expressing his upcoming journey to China to start a new career: "I have achieved my dreams at Ceará, and everything will be forever etched in my memory. Now it's time to say goodbye, and I am very grateful for everything everyone has done for me." Born on June 17, 1997, Minero is right-footed and possesses speed and impact. He played for J-League team Yokohama FC between July 2021 and August 2023, scoring 10 goals. In August 2023, Minero returned to Brazil to join Ceará SC in the second division. This season, he had a big breakout, making 30 appearances in the league, scoring 11 goals, and providing 6 assists, creating 17 goals alone. Currently, his latest market value on the German "Transfermarkt" is 900,000 euros. In the new season, Minero will partner with fellow Brazilian André Luís to form the front line's "Brazilian Double Trouble," taking on the responsibility of leading Shenhua to victory.