(Observer Network News) There are only two days left before the CBA new season registration deadline (August 31), and on the morning of the 29th, because of the contract dispute with the Xinjiang men's basketball team and dissatisfaction with the CBA League regulations, the national player Zhou Qi announced in a Weibo post that in order to maintain his "reasonable and legal rights", he will withdraw from the new season. As soon as the news came out, the Chinese basketball world shook.
According to the Beijing News reported on the 29th, Guo Jian, general manager of Xinjiang Guanghui Club, said that he regretted this, "This is his personal decision and choice, the club has previously submitted a contract in accordance with the prescribed process and done what we should do."
Previously, the Xinjiang team's maximum salary contract to Zhou Qi was not accepted, and Zhou Qi applied for arbitration to the CBA League, reporting that the Xinjiang Guanghui Club had the problem of mixing the main body of the participating units and violating the salary cap regulations. The contract dispute between the two parties entered the arbitration procedure of the Chinese Basketball Association on August 24.
Zhou Qi wrote in a blog post on the 29th: "I hope that through my affairs, the CBA League can be more standardized, and truly protect the reasonable rights of players, and at the same time, I will supplement the materials to the Chinese Basketball Association as soon as possible, believing that the Basketball Association can give a fair and just ruling result." ”
Zhou Qi, a 25-year-old from Xinxiang, Henan Province, plays as a centre forward and began playing for Xinjiang Guanghui Club in 2014 and was selected for the first team of the national team for the first time in the same year. In 2016, Zhou Qi was selected by the Houston Rockets with the 43rd pick in the second round of the NBA Draft. In the 2020-21 season, Zhou Qi was selected into the CBA Best Team.
According to the Regulations on the Management of Player Selection, Salary Cap, Employment and Transaction of the 2021-2022 CBA League, the registration period for domestic players in the new season is from August 1 to August 31, 2021, but the renewal of Zhou Qi's contract with Xinjiang Guanghui has not been completed.
According to the CBA regulations, domestic player employment contracts are divided into the following types according to the different players: A contract (rookie contract), which is divided into A1 contract and A2 contract. Among them, category a1 contracts are applicable to self-cultivation players, and category a2 contracts are applicable to draft players; category b contracts (protection contracts); c contracts (regular contracts) ;d contracts (maximum salary contracts); and e contracts (veteran contracts).
Source: "2021-2022 CBA League Player Draft, Salary Cap, Employment and Trade Management Regulations"
Clubs enjoy exclusive signing rights to Category D contracts for players whose Contracts have expired in Category b, C, D and e. In other words, if the original club offers a maximum salary renewal contract until the end of the league until July 1, the player must renew the contract with the original club.
As of 17:00 on August 27, there were already 20 people on the xinjiang Guanghui registration list, and among the players who renewed the contract, Abdul Shalamu was the top salary.
2021-2022 CBA League Xinjiang Guanghui domestic player registration information (click to view larger image)
According to Xinhua News Agency reported on August 25, Guo Jian, general manager of CBA Xinjiang Guanghui Men's Basketball Club, said that Zhou Qi's contract expired on July 31, and the club submitted a category d (maximum salary) renewal contract to Zhou Qi on June 25 according to the process, and completed the filing with the CBA League, but the club has not yet received zhou Qi's feedback on the signing contract.
Guo Jian said that Zhou Qifang had raised objections to the contract with the CBA Alliance, and the CBA Alliance mediated in this regard. "The CBA League mediation opinion believes that the contract between Guanghui Men's Basketball Team and Zhou Qi is valid and the club continues to enjoy relevant rights." He said, "After Zhou Qi made a personal appeal, the collegial panel formed by the representatives of the five shareholders of the CBA Alliance also rejected all his claims. ”
Guo Jian said that Zhou Qi's relevant demands are his personal views and understanding of the league rules, since Zhou Qi played for the Xinjiang men's basketball team so far, the club has been strictly in accordance with the relevant rules of the Chinese Basketball Association and the CBA to sign a contract with it, and there has been no violation of the rules and the bottom line of laws and regulations.
According to the relevant personages of the CBA Alliance Discipline and Dispute Resolution Committee, Zhou Qi filed a mediation application with the CBA Alliance Discipline and Dispute Resolution Committee on the contract dispute between him and the Xinjiang Guanghui Club, and after completing the hearing and all procedures in accordance with the procedures, the Committee has made mediation opinions on matters within its authority in the case of unsuccessful mediation. Based on the facts ascertained and the statements of the parties, the collegial panel held that Xinjiang Guanghui Club did not have any breach or violation of contract that was sufficient to constitute the player's right to unilaterally terminate the contract, and therefore did not support Zhou Qi's request for mediation.
At the same time, the collegial panel held that for the problem of The Xinjiang Guanghui Club reported by Zhou Qi that there was a mixture of participating units and violations of the salary cap regulations, the China Basketball Federation Company should investigate and make a decision in accordance with the "Regulations on the Registration and Registration of Players of the CBA League in the 2020-2021 Season". All proceedings were conducted in accordance with the relevant provisions of the CBA Union and the mediation opinion was served on the parties on August 5, 2021.
Zhou Qi's team said: "The premise for players to perform the contract is that the club protects the legitimate rights and interests of players and operates in accordance with the law. We have always insisted on fighting for the legitimate rights and interests of basketball players, including Zhou Qi himself. We do not agree with the mediation opinion issued by the CBA Alliance and have reservations about the legitimacy of the case adjudicated by a collegial panel composed of representatives of the shareholders of the five clubs in the mediation procedure and the fairness of the mediation result of this case. The Chinese Basketball Association has received the arbitration application submitted by our side, and we will actively cooperate with the arbitration work of the Chinese Basketball Association and speak out to the outside world in an appropriate manner at the appropriate time. ”
A relevant person from the Chinese Basketball Association confirmed that the Chinese Basketball Association received an arbitration application submitted by Zhou Qi on August 24 on the dispute with Xinjiang Guanghui Basketball Club Co., Ltd. on the player contract, and has begun to investigate and understand the situation.
According to basketball reporter Jia Lei revealed on the 29th, the relevant person of the Chinese Basketball Association said that the Basketball Association did not give a clear ruling answer to the dispute over Zhou Qi's contract, and has returned the investigation power to the CBA Company, requiring the CBA Company to conduct a comprehensive investigation and properly handle it.
On the morning of the 29th, Zhou Qi publicly announced that he would withdraw from the new season.
According to the Beijing News, Guo Jian said that after learning that Zhou Qi announced his withdrawal from the new season, Xinjiang Club expressed regret, and indeed this situation is not wanted by many parties. 'It was his personal decision and choice, and the club had previously submitted the contract in accordance with the prescribed process and done what we had to do.'
Media person Su Qun revealed in an article on the 28th that Xinjiang said that until now, no club has contacted Zhou Qi's transfer. For this mysterious "next home", Su Qun also replied to the fans that "it is not necessarily Liaoning" and that "that team has come out to talk with Xinjiang in a big way, it may be better."
The Beijing News said that it is a southern club that hopes to introduce Zhou Qi.
In fact, the differences between Zhou Qi and the Xinjiang team have long appeared. In April this year, Zhou Qi also posted on Weibo that "do you want to continue to draw cakes, will you still believe", and replied to comments from netizens, triggering a wave of speculation.
Now, the CBA's signature star announced his withdrawal from the new season, media person Su Qun believes that "no one wants to see such a situation", "behind the conflict, is the CBA's very helpless status quo: the club operates to lose money, the league introduced a maximum salary system to protect the interests of investors; players lose their freedom of mobility and are in a weak position in the face of the maximum salary system."
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