A foreseeable reality is that the home-and-away system is well conceived, but in reality the progress may not be smooth. To some extent, without the support of government departments, I am afraid it is absolutely difficult to advance.
On the morning of February 23, the Preparatory Group of the Chinese Football Association and the China Football Federation convened an online working meeting of representatives of professional clubs at all levels in the Chinese Super League, China League A and China Second Division to make arrangements for the preparation of professional leagues at all levels in China in the 2022 season, competition plans and other matters, and also issued a "Letter of Consultation from the Chinese Football Association on the Resumption of Home and Away Games in the Professional League in the 2022 Season" to the participating clubs. After the business letter was posted by the delegates through social media, it attracted the attention of all parties. The full restoration of the home-and-away system in the league is what Chinese football in the current trough aspires to, and even concerns the life and death of Chinese professional football. However, if you want to fully recover, I am afraid that it is far from enough to rely on the Chinese Football Association, and to a large extent, it is inseparable from the full support of government departments at all levels.
How will the 2022 Chinese Super League unfold? It has long been rumored that the Chinese Football Association, the China Football Federation Preparatory Group or various clubs hope to fully restore the home and away system. In the article "2022 Super Appearance" (below) published in Japanese newspapers on February 14, it has been clearly stated that "striving to fully restore the home and away games" will be the first step in the revitalization of all parties in Chinese football in the trough, and it is also the top priority in all work. But the call of public opinion is one thing, and there has never been official information on this matter.
During this online work meeting, the business letter issued clearly stated: "The Chinese Football Association intends to start restoring the regular home-and-away format of the 2022 Chinese Super League, China League One and China Second League in April on the basis of the normalization of epidemic prevention and control." In a way, this letter of discussion is equivalent to a "test balloon." If it is released by the Chinese Football Association or the Preparatory Group of the China Football Federation through official channels, it is obviously inappropriate, after all, it is only in the intention at present, otherwise this material will not be issued in the name of "business letter", and the material will not emphasize a "proposed" word.
As the regulatory department and specific organizer of professional leagues, whether it is the Chinese Football Association or the preparatory group of the China Football Federation, it is hoped that the home and away system of the league will be fully restored. However, whether it can be smoothly implemented is not only decided by the Chinese Football Association, after all, the participating clubs also involve the management of their places. Under the current epidemic prevention situation, the opinions and attitudes of local government departments are very important. The letter of discussion also clearly states: "All clubs and member associations of the registered areas are invited to jointly report to the territorial governments and give support and assistance in the epidemic prevention work and competition work in the home area." ”
After the letter of discussion is issued and the opinions are summarized, it will affect or even determine the format of the new season to some extent. Taking the 18 teams in the Chinese Super League as an example, in addition to the places of one city and two teams, if there are 12 or 13 government departments in the cities involved, this means that the home-and-away system can be smoothly implemented, and individual teams that cannot play at their own home can choose another venue as their home stadium. Assuming that the feedback is that most local governments do not agree, the home-and-away system will certainly not be restored.
From a higher point of view, Chinese football is currently in a period of comprehensive trough, which is far from the expectations of the country and the people. But to some extent, the feedback can truly reflect the more authentic position of football in Chinese society.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, reform measures at the national level have been frequent. As an important part of the reform, sports have been highly valued by the Party Central Committee and the State Council, and "revitalizing football" as an important task for the development of sports and the construction of a sports power has also been put on the agenda. The tenth meeting of the Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reform deliberated and adopted the "Overall Plan for China's Football Reform", emphasizing that the Chinese dream of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is closely related to the dream of China's sports power. The development and revitalization of football is an inevitable requirement for building a sports power, and it is also the ardent expectation of the people of the whole country.
Local governments have also shown unprecedented attention to football over the years, but when Chinese football is currently in a downturn, it is more necessary to come up with practical solutions to support and support the restoration of the home and away system of the league under the premise of fully implementing the national epidemic prevention policy, so that football can return to people's daily lives. Perhaps from this aspect, it can also reflect the status of Chinese football in the real society, whether Chinese society really needs football, or just needs a "world cup" result.
Of course, football may not really be a necessity for Chinese society. Moreover, the process of professionalization of Chinese football in recent years has, to some extent, also completely decoupled professional clubs from local government departments. In addition to some clubs backed by state-owned enterprises, there are more private companies or companies supporting and managing clubs. If the share reform of the club company has been completed, after the full intervention of state-owned assets and state-owned enterprises, it is another situation. In fact, to some extent, this reflects the actual embarrassment of the current professionalization process of Chinese football, and the news that the improvement of the club company stock exhibition effect is not ideal continues to come out.
In fact, a foreseeable reality is that the home-and-away system is very good, but in reality, the progress may not be smooth. On the one hand, the current national epidemic prevention policy cannot be loosened in a short period of time, after all, the current epidemic situation has not yet ended, and it has not yet reached the point of complete liberalization. On the other hand, the Chinese Football Association is actually just a community organization, and there will be great problems in the actual promotion of the league.
The current administrative system in China is the "principle of territorial management", in which the role and role of the government are self-evident. But the only exception is the current Chinese football, after leaving the local sports bureau (on behalf of the government department), all the affairs of the club have fallen to the Chinese Football Association, which has formed a "management blind spot".
The reason why all sectors of society will be dissatisfied with Chinese football, all the spearheads are aimed at the Chinese Football Association, to a large extent, is caused by the inertia of the administrative management system, because in the eyes of ordinary people, since the Chinese Football Association is the highest management department, it must be fully responsible and even play and assume the functions of the government in football behavior, but the Chinese Football Association is only a community organization, and does not have the function of a first-level government. While other sports can handle and solve related matters through sports administrative departments, Chinese football may not necessarily follow this path after decoupling. The governance and governance structure of Chinese football at present do not match the ideology of the entire Chinese society. It is in such a contradiction that Chinese football is incompatible with the development of Chinese society, and even becomes a "social outcast" that grandma does not love her uncle. However, to a certain extent, the "restoration of the home-and-away system of the Chinese professional football league" alone is absolutely difficult to promote without the support of government departments.
What is the reality? We can only wait and see. Perhaps more feasible is to gradually transition and restore the home-and-away system of the Chinese Super League this year, while the Chinese First Division and the Chinese Second League will temporarily maintain the format of the past two years, and then fully shift to the main away system when the time is ripe. Not one step at a time, but a smooth transition, such an option may be more acceptable and feasible.
Wen | Ma Dexing
Edit the | DBSQ
U.S. editor | Tingting