News broke this afternoon that the Chinese Football Association has tentatively decided to relegate Chengdu and Guangzhou, two Chinese Super League teams accused of match-fixing, to the China League One, while Qingdao, another League One team, has had its registration revoked. This news is arguably the first piece of good news for Greentown, who were unfairly relegated last year: it makes it possible for them to continue competing in the Chinese Super League in 2010.
First, the 2010 Chinese Super League (CSL) will continue to have 16 teams participating. There are two reasons for this: First, the interests of sponsors. If two fewer teams participate, the number of matches will decrease, significantly reducing the excitement level. Sponsors will be unhappy, and the CSL company will be very disappointed without sponsors. Therefore, the CSL company will not allow the league to be shortened, and the newly appointed Wei Di naturally follows public opinion. Second, if the CSL has fewer than 16 teams, then CSL teams will not be able to participate in the AFC Champions League. The AFC Champions League stipulates that each participating team must have played at least 21 top-tier league matches before 2009 and at least 33 matches before 2012. If the CSL has fewer than 16 teams, then the top four teams will not even qualify for the AFC Champions League.
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The above two points are sufficient to prove that the Chinese Super League is unlikely to be shortened. Since it won't be shortened, then two teams will be automatically promoted. There are many ways to be promoted now, and any of them would be very advantageous to Greentown.
Option 1: The second-to-last place in the Chinese Super League and the third-placed team in the China League One last year will be automatically promoted to the Chinese Super League. This option is unlikely, but it's not impossible, haha.
Option 2: No Chinese Super League teams will be relegated last year.
Option 3: The third and fourth place teams in last year's China League One will be automatically promoted.
Options two and three are unlikely. Firstly, they would be difficult to convince the public, and secondly, the newly appointed Wei Di is not the type to make decisions unilaterally. Personally, I think he prefers to decide the promotion spots fairly, so option four is the most probable: the bottom two teams in the Chinese Super League will play a playoff against the third and fourth-placed teams in the China League One. This would give Greentown, who have made numerous signings, a natural advantage. Promotion would simply require a normal performance!
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Original author:Jake Tao,source:"With Chengdu and Guangzhou relegated, Greentown's chances of staying in the Chinese Super League have greatly increased."
