Li Haixin is expected to officiate in the Super Cup, and young referees have gradually become the main force in law enforcement in domestic competitions
Li Haixin officiated in the FA Cup semi-finals last year
As the opening drama of domestic professional football in the Year of the Dragon, the Super Cup will be played in Shanghai on February 25, with a derby match between Shenhua and Harbour. According to a reporter from Beijing Youth Daily, a number of referees (including 2 assistant referees), including national-level referee Li Haixin, have received a notice of selection to participate in the law enforcement of the game.
It is reported that because a number of Chinese international referees (including international assistant referees) including Ma Ning will be selected by FIFA and AFC this year to participate in the law enforcement work of many major international football events, including the AFC Champions League and the 2026 World Preliminaries, plus the retirement of a group of referees over the age of 45, a considerable number of young referees will become the main force in the law enforcement work of the Chinese Super League, the Chinese League, the Chinese League B and the Football Association Cup this season. This is both a challenge and a good opportunity for them to improve their business.
As in previous seasons, the Chinese Football Association will organize professional league referees at all levels to receive centralized training and body side training before the start of the new season of the Chinese Super League, and this year's league referee training is scheduled to be carried out in Suzhou from February 24 to 28. However, due to the Super Cup will start on February 25, some referees will be temporarily absent from training and go to Shanghai to enforce the opening drama of domestic professional football in the Year of the Dragon.
Shi Xiang has continuously participated in the enforcement of the World Cup and the Asian Cup
It is understood that the referees who have received the selection notice include Li Haixin, Du Jianxin, Wang Jing, and assistant referees Shi Xiang and Tang Chao. Judging from the refereeing ability, experience and comprehensive performance of several people in recent seasons, as the "full-time pacesetter" of the Chinese Super League in the 2021 season, the 40-year-old former international-level referee Li Haixin is most likely to become the referee of the Super Cup.
Among the six referees, the 32-year-old Du Jianxin will be newly promoted to an international referee in 2024, and the 37-year-old Tang Chao will be promoted to an international assistant referee from the 2022 season. Judging from the continuous adjustment of the Chinese Football Association's registered 11-a-side men's international referees (including assistant referees) in recent years, the Football Association has also paid attention to the promotion and training of young referees while improving the management of referees and improving the professional level of local referees.
Hei Xiaohu and a group of referees over 45 years old have been "put on guard"
It is worth noting that a group of referees over 45 years old, including Wang Zhe, Shi Zhenlu and Hei Xiaohu, will no longer continue to enforce the law. In this regard, it is rumored that the Chinese Football Association takes 45 years old as the upper age limit and "one-size-fits-all" to circle the referees at all levels of professional leagues in the new season. However, Ma Ning, who recently officiated at the Asian Cup final as a referee, will also turn 45 in June this year, and he is still the best referee in China in terms of his physical condition, law enforcement level and experience. It is only natural that he will continue to be active in the international and domestic law enforcement arenas. In fact, FIFA began to break the upper age limit of 45 for international referees as early as 2016.
It is also worth noting that due to the continuous good performance of Chinese international referees in the law enforcement work of international football, they continue to be reused by FIFA and AFC to participate in the law enforcement work of major international events such as the AFC Champions League, the World Preliminary Tournament and even the Paris Olympic Football Tournament this year, which will be a high probability event. In the case of a number of international-level referees frequently leaving the country to enforce the law and a number of senior referees "hanging on the whistle", other local referees, especially the young referees who have emerged in recent seasons, will take on the heavy responsibility of law enforcement in the domestic league, which is also a process that must be experienced by the replacement of new and old referees.
Text/Beijing Youth Daily reporter Xiao Yun
Editor/Wang Haozhou