SPORTS> China
China's super league faces cuts despite profits
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-11 11:20

Though the Chinese Super League (CSL) is making big money from its sponsors, the coming 2009-2010 season may see the number of sides trimmed to allow more time for training camps involving the underachieving national teams.

China's failure to reach next year's World Cup in South Africa and the Olympic team's demise at the group stage at last year's Beijing Games has sparked some senior officials to look at an overhaul of the game here.

According to a proposal made by the Chinese Football Association (CFA), the current 16-team league could be trimmed to 12 teams next year, meaning the season would be shorter and thus allow more time for national training camps - with the immediate goals being the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.

Another radical proposal was made before the Beijing Games, when the CFA was ordered by some senior officials from the State General Administration of Sports (China's governing body for all sports) to separate the league into south and north divisions in the hope it would benefit the Olympic team's preparations.

The proposal was attacked by local media and some CFA officials and the league's status was protected.

The latest proposal could create chaos as clubs would be forced to battle to keep their spots in the top-flight league. There are also concerns that the four clubs asked to play in the second division might threaten to withdraw from all competitions.

According to public poll on sina.com, 60 percent of the 70,773 respondents were against the proposal to trim the league. Only 25 percent saw it as a good move.

Eighty-two percent believed the league was the fundamental part of China's soccer development.

Only 6 percent said giving the national and Olympic teams more time in training camp would do any good.