Poster News reporter Zheng Hao reports
Recently, a number of notices have been issued on the official website of the Chinese Football Association, which has aroused the attention of fans. Among them, two notices involve allowing teams to be named and conditionally accepting clubs to relocate, and the other notice is to remove the restriction that newly promoted clubs cannot carry out significant equity transfers within one year of promotion.
Obviously, when the "Jinyuanhua football era" comes to an end, the fragmented Chinese football environment needs to be "loosened" by those at the helm. The conditional acceptance of club relocation is a topic that can always be controversial.
The "wanderer" who can't get along
During the epidemic, the vigorous neutral name change policy scared away many investors. Among them, it also includes the former Chinese Super League champion Jiangsu Suning team.
What was once Suning has become history
Take a Chinese Super League club as an example, when the club "can't survive" in this city, equity reform and relocation are things they have to face.
What does it mean to be unable to survive? To put it bluntly, there is no money. When the financial chain behind the club is broken, the attendance rate of the football market is not high, the surrounding market centered on football cannot function normally, and the poor results are not recognized, the club has no sense of security or presence in the city.
The most typical team in this is a team that no longer exists in the strict sense of the word - Beijing Orange Feng Football Club.
If fans are unfamiliar with this name, then Shanxi Chanba, Guizhou Renhe, and Beijing Renhe, who were once dominant, are all the "shells" of this team in different periods.
Shanghai, Shaanxi, Guizhou, Beijing?
From Shanghai Pudong in 1995 to Beijing Orange in 2021, this team has changed cities 4 times in 30 years, running all over the "north and south of the country". Although it has had its own glory, no one can say for sure which city this team should belong to.
So in the 2016 season, the Chinese Football Association began to prohibit clubs from moving across provinces. It can be understood that a team must have its own "roots", and it can also be understood that a city must have its own "football business card".
Local cultural identity is at the core
Eight years later, the Chinese Football Association's policy of prohibiting clubs from moving across provinces and places has been loosened, in order to help some clubs that are struggling to get more support and resources, so that clubs can have better room for development.
In the just-announced 2023 selection results of the Chinese Super League, some "Taoism" can be seen in the Outstanding Popularity Regional Award. The award was won by Beijing, Chengdu, Tianjin, Jinan and Shanghai, along with Beijing Guoan, Chengdu Rongcheng, Tianjin Jinmen Tigers, Shandong Taishan and Shanghai Shenhua.
Outstanding Popularity Regional Award
The Outstanding Popularity Regional Award, as the name suggests, is to see who has a high attendance rate. Among them, Chengdu Rongcheng is a new army that has not been formed for a long time, but this team has started steadily from the Champions League, so that the slogan of "Chengdu Rises" has resounded throughout the country.
As for the remaining four teams, not to mention that. Taishan, Shenhua and Guoan are the teams that have never been relegated in the league so far, and Tianjin Jinmen Tigers are also absolute darlings in the eyes of Tianjin fans.
The city and the team rely on each other, which is why the home stadiums of Guoan, Shenhua and Taishan have been the "home of the devil" in Chinese football for the past 30 years.
Wearing the jersey of Shandong Taishan team, it will "bring its own traffic" in Shandong
Deep-rooted, it is the strongest foundation of these teams. In the past decade, Shenhua has faced two major crises, and each time it has been able to save the day – when such a team is in a life-or-death situation, the local government and companies have always taken the initiative to help them tide over the difficulties.
Because of the city they are in, they "recognize" this team. Both government leaders and ordinary people have a high sense of recognition and a strong sense of honor for this team, and these teams also "recognize" the city, thus sharing the glory and disgrace.
Look at Taishan's ball, don't you have to come to the barbecue?
Watching Guoan's ball, can't go to Gui Street?
Look at Shenhua's ball, don't you go to the City God Temple to visit?
Looking at the ball in Chengdu, you can't walk around the streets of Chengdu?
These are the cultures, and these are the foundations of these teams.