In the 2024 season of the Chinese Super League (CSL), Shandong Luneng failed to achieve their desired results, finishing fifth in the league standings. This outcome meant they lost the chance to directly qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite Division. Additionally, they were defeated by Shanghai Port FC in the FA Cup final, leaving them with no significant achievements for the entire season. This was undoubtedly a heavy blow for Shandong Luneng and left their fans feeling disappointed. What further complicates matters for Shandong Luneng's management is that their contract with current head coach Choi Kang-hee does not include performance-based conditions. This means that even if the team performs poorly, they cannot directly dismiss Choi Kang-hee without paying a high termination fee of up to 40 million yuan. This situation adds uncertainty to Shandong Luneng's future. However, amidst these challenges, Shandong Luneng has also seen new hope. According to Shandong media reports, former player Su Maozhen has passed the interview with Shandong Luneng's vice president, and both parties are discussing details. There is a possibility that Su Maozhen will return to Shandong Luneng soon. This news brings comfort to the fans. As a legendary figure of Shandong Luneng, Su Maozhen's return is expected to inject new vitality and confidence into the team. It also suggests that the future transfer power of Shandong Luneng might fall into Su Maozhen's hands, bringing new opportunities for the team's development. Before Su Maozhen takes office, there is also new momentum in Shandong Luneng's transfer activities. According to Turkish media STAR, the CSL team…

Beijing Guoan has concluded the first phase of their winter training and is now entering a brief holiday period. At the same time, the team will officially welcome new coach Quique Setien for the second phase of winter training, which is a source of great joy for many Guoan fans. Setien is a highly capable coach who has coached in La Liga for many years and achieved remarkable results. Therefore, Guoan fans believe that Setien's arrival at the Imperial Army should be considered a significant upgrade. With Setien's appointment as the head coach of Guoan, the team's winter training reinforcement work will also enter a countdown. According to football journalist Yang Tianying, Guoan is targeting ready-to-play newcomers in the winter transfer window, and there will be names that will excite the fans. Guoan fans believe that if these names are exciting, they are likely to be current national team players. Combined with media reports, it is possible that Wu Shaocong, Serginho, and Wei Zhen could all be signed by Guoan in one go, allowing them to take on major roles in the new season. First, Wu Shaocong is in the prime of his career, having spent the past two seasons playing abroad in Europe. Wu Shaocong once played as a starter in the Turkish league and was loaned to the Polish Super League this season. Unfortunately, Wu Shaocong did not secure a starting position after joining the Polish Super League team and has yet to make his debut. As a result, fans speculate that Wu Shaocong might choose to join…

In the midst of Shanghai Port's celebration of their "double championship," the team experienced an unexpected turn of events. During the Christmas period, the club announced the departure of two key foreign players, dealing a significant blow to fans who were still reveling in the joy of victory. Firstly, Brazilian player Oscar, who had served the team for eight years, announced his departure. As the captain and core player of the team, Oscar made significant contributions during his time with Shanghai Port. He not only demonstrated exceptional skills and leadership on the field but also expressed deep affection for the city of Shanghai on multiple occasions. However, when Brazilian club Sao Paulo FC extended an invitation, the Brazilian star chose to return to his homeland. Although this decision was seen as expected by many, it still came as a shock and with reluctance to the fans when it happened. Following Oscar's announcement, the team also declared the departure of another important foreign player, Bargas. Unlike Oscar's situation, Bargas' future destination remains uncertain, but the team's decision to release the departure notice early added to the fans' concerns. The consecutive departures of these "big and small kings" dealt a severe blow to the team's strength within a short week. The core reason behind these changes is the salary cap policy implemented by the Chinese Football Association. The new policy stipulates that the annual salary of foreign players cannot exceed 3 million euros, and the total annual salary of foreign players per team must not exceed 10 million euros. This policy directly…

In recent years, the transfer market in Chinese football has attracted significant attention, with the return of some veterans sparking enthusiastic discussions among fans. Recently, 35-year-old Beira announced his desire to return to the field and received invitations from many clubs, with the offer from Beijing Guoan particularly appealing to him. As a renowned player who spent three years with Guoan, Beira is not only very familiar with the Chinese Super League (CSL) environment but also shares a deep mentor-disciple relationship with Guoan's head coach, Setien. Beira's career began in Spain, where his performances at Las Palmas made him a star player in La Liga. On the La Liga stage, he helped Las Palmas maintain a mid-table position with his excellent skills and stable play, earning a call-up to the Spanish national team. In 2018, at the peak of his career, Beira chose to transfer to Beijing Guoan in the CSL for a transfer fee of 11 million euros, quickly gaining fame in the domestic football circle. During his three years at Beijing Guoan, Beira's performance was remarkable, with 88 appearances, 30 goals, and 30 assists, making him a core player in the team's attacking line. His time with Guoan allowed him to deeply integrate into the CSL atmosphere and build a strong bond with the club's fans. However, as time went on, Beira decided to leave Guoan in the summer of 2021 and return to Las Palmas in La Liga. Despite his brief stint with Al-Fujairah in the UAE and his current free-agent status, Beira once again yearns to…

Today marks the 32nd anniversary of Beijing Guoan, and as we enter a new year, the team is actively reinforcing its ranks in preparation for a higher ranking and aiming to achieve new breakthroughs in the AFC Champions League. To this end, Beijing Guoan has undergone a coaching change during this winter transfer window, with Setien taking over to build a team focused on attacking football, abandoning the defensive counter-attack strategy with two foreign center-backs that was employed under Suarez this year. As a result, the focus has shifted to player acquisitions and departures. In terms of departures, it is likely that 【Engadu】, who was previously rumored to be heading to West Asia, will remain with the team. However, another foreign center-back, 【Mamadou】, is highly likely to leave and become a backup target for Dalian Yingbo. Additionally, 【Duan Dezhi】, who was loaned to Suzhou Dongwu, may continue to be loaned out, while veteran 【Zhang Chengdong】 is expected to leave and join Qingdao West Coast. Midfielder 【Li Ke】 is not expected to leave, with rumors suggesting he might move to Chengdu Rongcheng. The average age of Beijing Guoan's squad in the new season will continue to decrease, with the scale of mid-career players expanding and continuing to play a leading role. The departure of old players and the arrival of new signings are all just rumors at this point. Currently, there are ongoing efforts to naturalize 【Serginho】, who is set to become the team's first new signing and will temporarily join as a foreign player. Whether he can register as a…

It's raining misfortunes when your roof leaks, and now Shandong Taishan's foreign players are being targeted again. We haven't even had a chance to strengthen our team with new signings, but it seems like there's trouble brewing at home. From Crespo last time to Zeka today, what's going on? There were rumors at the end of the season that Japanese teams were inquiring about Crespo, and that Kawasaki Frontale's former coach, Takashi Ono, was interested in bringing the Brazilian to his new club, Kashima Antlers. But then what happened? No news! Now it's said that Korean teams have set their sights on Zeka, the center forward who only joined Shandong last year and spent half the year recovering from injuries. The team interested in Zeka this time is Ulsan Hyundai. What's the deal? It seems like Chinese teams are always the ones left holding the bag. When we bought Zeka, we paid a breach of contract fee of 2 million euros and a salary of 1 million euros, not to mention the medical expenses. Does this mean that after all that Shandong Taishan has invested, Ulsan Hyundai is just waiting to take advantage? Zeka isn't indispensable; at the very least, the accounts should be settled for 3 million euros. We can be generous and waive the medical fees. I suspect that it might be Choi Kang-hee's team spreading these rumors through domestic Korean media again. The message seems to be: if you don't want the players I buy, I'll create some public opinion and take away your star striker. There…

Currently, in the Chinese Super League (CSL), apart from Shanghai Port's Oscar and Bargos, Shandong Taishan's Crescendo and Leonardo are also quite impressive. However, due to the salary cap policy imposed by the Football Association, both Oscar and Bargos of Shanghai Port have not renewed their contracts and there is a possibility that they may leave the CSL. It will be a challenge for Shanghai Port to find suitable replacements for them next season. Will they still be contenders for the championship trophy? Leonardo was loaned out to Zhejiang team last season by Shandong Taishan. Just how strong is he? After 30 rounds of the CSL, he played in 29 matches, starting every game, scoring 21 goals and providing 5 assists. His statistics speak for themselves! Crescendo, after 30 rounds of the CSL, played in 24 matches for Shandong Taishan (starting 19 times), scoring 11 goals and providing 4 assists. Despite having such a formidable foreign player combination, head coach Choi Kang-hee seems to overlook them, with Leonardo being loaned out to Zhejiang team. At the end of the year, when his contract expires, Leonardo openly expressed his desire to continue playing in a CSL team. Given the current situation at Shandong Taishan, it is estimated that the possibility of Leonardo renewing his contract is small. Where will Leonardo go next? No matter where he goes, we wish him all the best! During the off-season, Shandong Taishan has only seen players leaving without any new signings. It has been reported that defenders Tong Lei and Sun Guowen have joined Zhejiang…

In Chinese football, especially in the foreign aid market of the Chinese Super League (CSL), recent years have witnessed a significant transformation. If the foreign players in the CSL were once superstars with a dazzling aura, they are now increasingly resembling thrifty experts who not only seek excellent ball skills but also control budgets—much like those who excel at finding the most cost-effective products and reducing the "intelligence tax." Oscar and Balagas, two former foreign players who enjoyed immense success with Shanghai Port (formerly known as Shanghai SIPG), announced their departure from the CSL. This decision reflects not only the tragedy of the club but also serves as a mirror to the entire foreign aid market of the CSL, revealing the inevitable choices that clubs must make under current economic conditions. These two players are not ordinary; they are among the giants of the sport. Oscar, once a Brazilian national team member, and Balagas, a former tough midfielder from South America, their departure sends a message: even the wealthy clubs in the CSL must face budget constraints. It's no longer sustainable to rely solely on big-name foreign players; ultimately, they too must exercise financial prudence. The ideal foreign player for CSL clubs now has an annual salary ranging from 100,000to100,000 to 100,000to150,000. What does this mean? Simply put, these players can significantly enhance the team's strength without imposing a heavy financial burden—like finding a product with high cost-effectiveness that offers both quality and affordability without depleting your monthly salary. Why have these salary-range players become so desirable? The reason is…

The Chinese national football team has four important matches to play in 2025. In the top 18 qualifiers, they will face Saudi Arabia away and Australia at home in March, Indonesia away in June, and Bahrain at home. The national team is currently only one point behind second-placed Australia in the group, giving them a chance to directly qualify for the World Cup. Next, the national team will start training to prepare for the arrival of key events. Officially withdrawing, Wu Lei announces a new decision, which Ivan approves. Currently, the group opponents of the national team, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, have Gulf Cup matches, while Indonesia participated in the Southeast Asian Championship. The opponents are using matches as training to strengthen team chemistry, which is unfavorable for the national team. The national team has no match tasks and needs to be more committed during training to exercise the team and discover new talent. On December 28th, according to a report by Xiao Nan, a reporter from the Beijing Youth Daily, the national team is expected to start a training camp of no more than 10 days around January 8th, with the location being Haikou, Hainan, and the training list including about 30 players. The reporter revealed that Wu Lei will be unable to participate in the training due to injury. For the national team, it is regrettable that Wu Lei continues to recover from his injury and cannot return to the team for training or integrate with his teammates. Wu Lei, 33 years old, is the top scorer in…

On December 28th, Beijing time, the official Weibo account of Cangzhou Mighty Lions, a Chinese Super League club, responded to rumors of its dissolution. The club stated that it has reached a settlement agreement with the players regarding their reasonable demands for unpaid wages, and the funds for the settlement have been secured, awaiting final approval from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). Subsequently, all the players of Cangzhou Mighty Lions signed an open letter addressed to the CFA. In the letter, the players expressed that the funds have been received, and the club and the players have reached a reconciliation. They thanked the CFA for its strict review process and requested not to revoke the team's entry qualification due to a one-day delay in the arrival of funds. On the evening of December 20th, the CFA announced the second batch of clubs that had completed debt repayment, with Cangzhou Mighty Lions included in the list. However, after the announcement, as many as ten current or former players of Cangzhou Mighty Lions publicly questioned the club's actions. Players such as Oscar, Yan Zihao, Zheng Dalun, Mo Xuchen, Wang Peng, Wen Da, Zheng Kaimu, Guo Hao, Shao Puliang, and Sun Qinhan posted on social media or reposted messages criticizing the club for unpaid wages. Foreign player Oscar, who has left the club, even claimed that he had not received any payment. After a week of silence, Cangzhou Mighty Lions finally made a public response. With the strong support of the Cangzhou Municipal Party Committee and Government, the club has reached a settlement…