In the Chinese League A last season, the Beidamen team from Jiangxi finally ranked 14th in the relegation successfully, although the record was not outstanding, but it was enough to make them proud of the investment. But now, this rare team in The Chinese professional football league that does not owe wages is already on the verge of disintegration, and the reason for disbanding is simple, but also thought-provoking.
Jiangbei Gate's investor Liansheng Group is a local business service-oriented comprehensive group enterprise in Jiujiang City, the owner Yan Yongmin has a strong interest in football, and in 2002 personally founded the predecessor of Jiangbei Gate, Jiujiang Liansheng, began to participate in amateur leagues. In 2012, after ten years of hard work, Jiujiang Liansheng won the runner-up of the National Amateur League Finals, qualified for the Chinese Second League, and officially became a professional team, and the team name was renamed from Jiujiang Liansheng to Jiangxi Liansheng, carrying the banner of Jiangxi football and becoming the only professional team in the province. In the 2014 season of the Chinese Second League, Jiangxi Liansheng won the championship and successfully rushed into the Chinese First Division, although it was relegated in one season, they continued to accumulate strength, and finally returned to the Chinese First League in the 2020 season, and successfully relegated for two consecutive seasons.
Judging from these experiences, this local team in Jiangxi can be described as writing a history of grassroots team struggle, and in the years when the golden dollar football wave swept through the Chinese Super League, they stubbornly persevered, and finally gained a foothold in the Chinese League A, retaining the fire for Jiangxi football. But now that gold dollar football is a thing of the past, why are they saying goodbye instead?
Domestic media "Football" recently posted about the Northwest Gate of Jiangbei, which is in the whirlpool of dissolution, and they quoted a Unisun Group executive as saying the reason why the team is at a critical juncture of life and death. It turned out that in recent years, Unisun boss Yan Yongmin injected 50 million yuan into the club every year, and has been under pressure from within the group, and many executives believe that this money should not be invested. After the introduction of the so-called neutral naming policy of the Chinese Football Association last season, Jiangxi Liansheng changed its name to Jiangbei Gate, so that the only value of brand promotion of the team no longer exists, and Yan Yongmin's investment in football has become a plaything in the eyes of others.
For the concept of "public welfare football" advocated by the Chinese Football Association, the executive also has his own views, "Instead of taking 50 million yuan out every year to do this kind of pure public welfare, why can't we do other public welfare?" This is actually very reasonable, in other aspects of public welfare, enterprises can at least get the publicity of Chia Tai Guangming, as for investing in football, now it is purely behind the scenes, contrary to common sense.
This statement is actually a face-slapping face of the neutral naming policy of the Chinese Football Association, professional football, of course, has its public welfare nature, but one-sided emphasis on public welfare, but ignores the word occupation, it is pure nonsense, after all, investors enter the football market, in addition to the love of football, seeking returns is the driving force for them to invest in football. The Introduction of a neutral naming policy by the Chinese Football Association in the case of almost zero hematopoietic function of the club is actually to snuff out the last bit of enthusiasm of investors for football.
Of course, the Chinese Football Association also hopes that Jiangxi South Gate will make a breakthrough in equity reform, reduce operational pressure, and set a precedent for Chinese League A teams. But the ideal is very full, and the reality is very bone. Although Liansheng Group submitted a share reform letter, it only got a reply of "no share reform notice", and the reality is that the Seven Pairs of the Chinese Super League have received a notice to cooperate with the share reform, but the Chinese League A has not yet received the notice, so that the northwest gate of Jiangsu has become a model of the reform of the Chinese First Shares, but it is just the wishful thinking of the Chinese Football Association.
What is touching is that even if life and death are uncertain now, the operation of jiangbei gate club is still stable, and the team's top management has stated that even if it withdraws, the player's salary will be paid a lot. Some veteran players have offered to cut salaries, hoping to reduce the pressure on the operation and let the team continue to survive. If such an inspirational team eventually disappears in Chinese football, the Chinese Football Association, headed by a former football boss, is really unforgivable.