According to the "Notice on Submitting the Confirmation Form for Full Payment of First Team Athletes, Coaches and Staff Salaries and Bonuses by the Club in 2020" issued by the Chinese Football Association earlier this month, all the top 4 in the Chinese Super League, Chinese League One, Chinese League Two and the Chinese Championship The club should hand in the form before 5 pm on January 29.
However, known information shows that as of January 27, there are about many clubs in the Super League that have not yet handed in the form. Since the implementation of this procedure is related to the qualifications for the new season of leagues at all levels, the Chinese Football Association is particularly cautious in dealing with this issue. Although the association has not confirmed the postponement of the club’s "submission deadline", according to relevant sources of the association, the association adheres to two principles in the implementation of this work: First, the club must not cover up the problem, and must protect the players from competing. Rights, that is, no wage arrears; another principle is not to harm Chinese football.
On January 27, half a month before the arrival of the Lunar New Year, the Internet posted the Italian media about "Jiangsu coach Olaroyu's request to FIFA for arbitration to resolve contract issues" Rumors. Although the rumors came to light one day before, the Romanians used remote video to “remotely control” the Jiangsu team that was concentrated in Nanjing Xuzhuang that day for the first training. The lawsuit against FIFA has not been confirmed by official channels, but . The Chinese Super League’s new champion club has been plagued by rumors of “pay back” in the past year, but it is an indisputable fact. For example, during the Chinese Super League last season, there were rumors that some Suning players went on strike and expressed dissatisfaction with being owed salaries, although the club subsequently publicly refuted the rumors. However, a considerable number of people in the industry have "preferred to believe it."
Regardless of the rumors of salary arrears in the Jiangsu (Suning) club, it is no secret that Suning, the club’s parent company, has high debts in the business district. "Pay back" is actually not unique to Jiangsu clubs or a certain club, but a common phenomenon in the entire domestic professional football circle. This is supported by relevant data from the 2020 season. For example, last season, there were as many as 14 clubs that withdrew from the professional football circle in the Super League, China League One and China League Two. Although the deep background behind his exit varies,But "pay back" is undoubtedly one of the typical signs that most clubs are unsustainable.
Speaking of "wage arrears", I had to mention "salary limitation" again. The reason why this new governance policy with the obvious color of industry regulation has continued to increase in the past few seasons is not only due to the top-down demands of the state and industry management departments, but also the combination of the current situation and the facing of professional clubs at all levels The consensus formed spontaneously due to the difficult situation. As early as last summer, including Suning boss Zhang Jindong, more than half of the investor representatives of the Super League club had a secret meeting in Beijing. Regarding the "restrictions and pay cuts for players", the bosses have long been tacitly aware, and they will naturally proceed with the new deal of the Football Association.
However, the input cost saved through "salary limit and salary reduction" is nothing but a drop in the bucket for the major companies that are the backstage of the club's economy, and it is even useless to alleviate the urgent need of the parent company's economic crisis. In addition, since the global epidemic at the beginning of last year, the impact of the epidemic on all walks of life is obvious. "To overcome difficulties together" is not an empty slogan. Professional club investors have to tighten their belts. At the level of professional football, investment reduction has become an inevitable option for all players.
The 26th is the day when the Jiangsu team regrouped. Although before this, there were rumors that many of the team’s main players or important players, including Gu Chao, Zhou Yun, and Ji Xiang, had the possibility of "changing jobs" with the expiration of the club's contract. However, it is understood that most of the players have chosen to report to the team. In this regard, industry insiders believe that due to factors such as the epidemic, the investment prospects of domestic professional football are indeed not optimistic. Although salary cuts and salary limits are imperative, similar practical problems are more common in old and new owners. If a player cannot improve his situation by switching to his team, he might as well stay still. In other words, regardless of whether the players are emotionally difficult to accept, they have to overcome difficulties with the club. Of course, 's main basis for judging whether to transfer or not is whether the legal income involved in the contract can be effectively guaranteed.
In the context of professional leagues gradually entering the leading role of domestic professional football operations and management, although the Chinese Football Association is responsible for formulating and improving industry rules and playing the role of supervisor of professional football operations, it cannot intervene in the behavior of clubs as operating entities. .So can clubs at all levels submit the salary and bonus confirmation form as scheduled in accordance with the requirements of the "notice"? Judging from the current overall industry environment, the Chinese Football Association does not seem to be controllable.
If the rules are strictly enforced, it means that the clubs that fail to submit the table on time or have overdue the table will not be eligible for the relevant league. If the admission of clubs at all levels in the 2020 season is delayed by the league in the second half of the year, there is a buffer. Then the professional leagues at all levels in the new season will start in April and May at the earliest according to the plan of the professional league preparatory group, which means that the qualification review must be completed within a considerable period of time before then. Once a considerable percentage of clubs cannot enter, the adverse impact on the league will be unimaginable, and the league’s "collapse" is not alarmist. Therefore, the Chinese Football Association is indeed having difficulties with how implements the rules. In addition to internal discussions on countermeasures, the association has also been in continuous communication with clubs at all levels and other relevant parties.
From what the Chinese Football Association understands, most professional clubs have problems with salary payment. To this end, the Chinese Football Association has not only learned more about the relevant information recently, it has also repeatedly emphasized to the clubs that it is necessary to pay attention to the issue of club salaries and not to cover up related issues.
On the afternoon of the 27th, a relevant person from the Chinese Football Association revealed that “the wages arrears are very serious. The club should pay attention to such things. The legitimate rights and interests of players should be protected.” The date of the “handover” will be based on January 29. After further delay, the person said that the extension has not been confirmed. The Chinese Football Association will study specific opinions based on actual conditions in the next few days. But with regard to the problem of club wages, the person put forward two principles: "The principle is that wages cannot be owed; of course, the registration qualifications of most clubs cannot be cancelled. The harm caused by this to Chinese football is unbearable."
It is understood that the Chinese Football Association is still advancing related work as originally planned for the “handover of the table”. According to the analysis of insiders, the association does not rule out requiring clubs at all levels to submit confirmation forms on time. But how can some clubs really fail to submit the form temporarily for some reason,Then similar clubs may also apply to postpone the submission of forms. But the premise is that the reason for the delay given by the club is sufficient and reasonable, and at the same time to ensure that the club personnel are not owed wages. In addition, the Chinese Football Association's attitude towards fraud has always been "zero tolerance."
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