China News Service, Chongqing, May 24 (Reporter Liu Xianglin) Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic Football Club issued an announcement on the 24th that due to the impact of the epidemic and the development model of the football industry, the club was heavily in debt and might no longer maintain the club’s operations. After careful study by the club’s shareholders meeting, it was decided to withdraw from the Chinese Professional Football League and dissolve the team.
A reporter from China News Agency confirmed the news to Shi Hong, press officer of Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic Football Club.
The predecessor of Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic Club was Wuhan Avant-Garde Football Club established in 1994, and was re-established as Chongqing Lifan Football Club in 2000. At the end of 2016, Wuhan Dangdai Group changed its name to Chongqing Dangdai Lifan Football Club following entering the club. In 2021, the club will be renamed as Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic Football Club.
The announcement issued by Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic Football Club stated that since the beginning of 2021, Dangdai Group has discussed shareholding reform with relevant government departments many times in order to retain the spark of professional football in Chongqing. However, to this day, due to changes in objective conditions, the share reform work has not been carried out as scheduled, the club’s debts have been accumulating, accounts have been frozen, and employees’ lives have been extremely difficult.
Wei Xin, the team leader of Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic Football Club, previously said on social media that the club has accumulated arrears of 750 million yuan in wages. All coaches and players of Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic Football Club issued an open letter this month saying that they are willing to voluntarily give up the salaries owed by the club before April 30, 2021, hoping that the shareholding reform can be completed in steps to save the team.
The announcement issued by Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic Football Club requires club employees to pack up their personal belongings and leave the office area before 12:00 on the 24th. Regarding the arrangements following the club ceases operations, the announcement stated that it will continue to raise funds through subsequent litigation recovery, debt collection, asset sales, and group loans to gradually pay off wages as much as possible.
Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic Football Club settled in Chongqing in 1997 and represented Chongqing in the top professional league of Chinese football. It won the 2000 Chinese Football Association Cup, which is the first and only major championship in the team’s history.
The Chinese Super League officially announced on the 23rd that the new season will start on June 3. The competition will be held in Dalian, Haikou and Meizhou.
Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic has become the third Chinese Super League team to withdraw in the last three seasons. In May 2020, Tianjin Tianhai Club was officially dissolved. On February 28, 2021, the teams affiliated to Jiangsu Football Club ceased operations. (Finish)Return to Sohu, see more
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