Chinese Super League
The Chinese Football Association Super League (中国足球协会超级联赛 or 中超) a.k.a Chinese Super League a.k.a CSL, is the premier football league in China under the auspices of the Chinese Football Association.
There is also a 2nd tier league which does not seem to have a standard English name but may be called the Chinese Football Association Jia League. Jia means first or 'A' in Chinese.
Overview
The Competition
In each season, each club plays the another club twice, once at home and another away. In 2004, here are 12 clubs in the Super League, so the teams played 22 games each for a total of 132 games in the season. In 2005, here are 14 clubs in the League, so the teams now have to play 26 games each for a total of 182 games in the season. With 16 teams in the league from 2006 onwards, each team has to play 30 games in the season for a total of 240 games
From 2006 onwards, at the end of each season the two lowest placed teams are relegated into the Chinese Football Association Jia League and the top two teams from the Jia League are promoted in their place.
The top two teams in the League qualify for the AFC Champions League.
Sponsorship
The first title sponsor of the league was Siemens but following a controversial first season did not renew its multi-million dollar sponsorship of the league. The start of the second season in 2005 had to be delayed a month in order to find new sponsors. When no title sponsor was found the League was simply called Chinese Football Association Super League.
- 2004: Siemens (Siemens Chinese Super League)
- 2005: No sponsor (Chinese Football Association Super League)
History
The CSL was founded in 2004 as a replacement for the previous Division I (Jia A, or 甲A) league, with 12 teams in the league. The inaugural season was plagued with great controversy.
The originally plan was to have one relegation and two promotions for the 2004 season and 2005 season, thus increasing the number of teams in 2006 to 14. But new decisions caused the relegations to be cancelled for these 2 years.
For the 2005 season, the league expanded to 14 teams after Wuhan Huanghelou and Zhuhai Zhongbang won promotion from the Jia League. The Zhuhai team, formerly Zhuhai Anping, had been bought by the Shanghai Zhongbang real estate company and relocated to Shanghai for the 2005 season, and renamed to Shanghai Zobon. Starting in 2006, the league will further expand to 16 teams with the newly promoted Xiamen Lanshi and Changchun Yatai.
Super League Clubs 2006
| Club | Chinese name | Seasons in CSL | Best finish, Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing Hyundai | 北京现代 | 2004, 2005, 2006 | 6th, 2005 |
| Changchun Yatai | 长春亚泰 | 2006 | none |
| Chongqing Qiche | 重庆奇伡 | 2004, 2005, 2006 | 12th, 2004 |
| Dalian Shide | 大连实德 | 2004, 2005, 2006 | 1st, 2005 |
| Inter Shanghai | 上海国际 | 2004, 2005, 2006 | 3rd, 2004 |
| Liaoning Zhongyu | 辽宁中誉 | 2004, 2005, 2006 | 4th, 2004 |
| Qingdao Zhongneng | 青岛中能 | 2004, 2005, 2006 | 7th, 2005 |
| Shandong Luneng | 山东鲁能 | 2004, 2005, 2006 | 2nd, 2004 |
| Shanghai Shenhua | 上海申花 | 2004, 2005, 2006 | 2nd, 2005 |
| Shanghai Zobon | 上海中邦 | 2005, 2006 | 11th, 2005 |
| Shenyang Ginde | 沈阳金德 | 2004, 2005, 2006 | 8th, 2004 |
| Shenzhen Jianlibao | 深圳健力宝 | 2004, 2005, 2006 | 1st, 2004 |
| Sichuan Guancheng | 四川冠城 | 2004, 2005, 2006 | 9th, 2004 & 2005 |
| Tianjin Teda | 天津泰达 | 2004, 2005, 2006 | 4th, 2005 |
| Wuhan Huanghelou | 武汉黄鹤楼 | 2005, 2006 | 5th, 2005 |
| Xiamen Lanshi | 厦门蓝狮 | 2006 | none |
Past Super League winners
| Season | Winner | Total wins | Runner-up | Third |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Shenzhen Jianlibao | 1 | Shandong Luneng | Inter Shanghai |
| 2005 | Dalian Shide | 1 | Shanghai Shenhua | Shandong Luneng |
Top scorers
| Season | Top scorer | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Ayew | Inter Shanghai | 17 |
| 2005 | Jelic | Beijing Hyundai | 21 |