Soccer body keeps the future in play

CFA says its proposed salary cuts will benefit the long-term development of clubs, players

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to Chinese soccer, with a kickoff date for the postponed 2020 season still yet to be decided and many clubs struggling to survive financially.

In an attempt to “keep professional clubs alive” and “create conditions for their sustainable development”, the Chinese Football Association on May 8 proposed players and coaches in all three tiers of the pro game take a 35-50 percent salary cut, applicable from March 1 until one week before the season kicks off.

Meanwhile, the CFA suggested those clubs which have financial difficulties could defer payment of up to 30 percent of salaries to within a 90-day window after the season starts.

“The COVID-19 epidemic has had a big impact on the soccer industry. All levels of leagues were forced to postpone the 2020 season, which affected the normal operation of clubs,” read the CFA announcement. “With low revenue and high labor costs, the clubs are facing growing financial pressure.”

In a bid to protect those on the lower end of the soccer income scale, the CFA said the salary cuts should not apply to players and coaches whose monthly income is below 10,000 yuan ($1,412), while payment deferrals should not be enforced on those who earn less than 20,000 yuan a month.

“I hope players can look upon the salary cut positively,” CFA president Chen Xuyuan told China Central Television on May 7.

With the COVID-19 outbreak now under control in China, the CFA says it is considering three ideas to play a condensed 2020 Chinese Super League season, which was originally scheduled to start on Feb 22.

“Plan A is to finish the season with 30 rounds. We have a plan B if the league was to kick off in late June and finish in December, and we have also devised a plan C for a later restart,” CFA boss Chen told CCTV.

“If we carry out plan B, we will actually only have four months because of the schedule of the national team and the AFC Champions League.

“So, we may divide the 16 teams into two groups, and decide the champion and relegation through two phases. We will resume the league once we meet the medical protocols. The league needs to make adjustments to ensure the integrity of matches. Games early in the season will be played without fans in attendance, and we intend to open the doors gradually,” Chen said.

Meanwhile, CSL clubs have resumed training, with some even playing warm-up matches.

“All I know now is to train as hard as I can like everyone else in the team,” said Jiangsu Suning midfielder Huang Zichang following his team’s 2-1 friendly win over secondtier Taizhou Yuanda on May 8.