The rise and fall of Chinese football: What remains of the extravagant spending era?

Chinese football today is light-years away from the madness where Chinese clubs were throwing money at football stars. Once a team with ultra-star players, Shanghai Shenhua is now fighting for the championship.

About a decade ago, the Chinese Super League (CSL) was at the center of the football world. Chinese clubs spent incredible sums to attract the biggest football stars from Europe and South America to East Asia. However, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, which started in China, the country curbed its deregulated spending, and the "golden age" came to an end.

One of the clubs that spent heavily on foreign stars during that period was the traditional Shanghai giant, Shanghai Shenhua. During that time, stars like Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba, and Tim Cahill played in the blue jersey of the Shanghai Flower. Shenhua also had several well-known foreign coaches during this period, including Englishman Howard Wilkinson, Uruguayan Gus Poyet, and Frenchman Jean Tigana.

Despite this, Shenhua has never been the champion since the professional Super League was established in 2004. Their only (recognized) Chinese championship title dates back to 1995, with the 2003 title stripped due to match-fixing. In 2008, they were on the brink of the title in the final round, but Colombian Hamilton Ricard missed a penalty, and the title went to Shandong.

Shenhua has always been in the shadow of more successful southern Chinese neighbors Guangzhou Evergrande and Jiangsu Suning. However, both clubs lost their sponsors a few years ago. Guangzhou, which won seven consecutive titles from 2011 to 2017, was relegated to the second division, and Jiangsu folded a year after winning the championship in 2020.

Instead of Shenhua, city rival Shanghai Port took advantage, winning its first title in 2018 and another last year. The club, initially named Shanghai East Asia, was founded on Christmas Day 2005 by Xu Genbao, the coach who led Shenhua to its only recognized title in 1995. Xu needed a club where players from his football school, established five years earlier, could play.

In 2013, the Reds were promoted to the Super League, and over time, a real rivalry developed between them and Shenhua. However, the Shanghai rivals never directly competed for the title until this season. This year, they are neck and neck at the top of the standings, both unbeaten, and the Shanghai derby is likely to decide the champion.

Shanghai Port remains the only Chinese club with a globally recognized star from the golden era, Brazilian Oscar. Oscar transferred from Chelsea for £60 million at the height of the Chinese football boom in 2017 and still plays in the red jersey seven years later.

The Reds have been managed by many eminent coaches in the past, such as Swedish Sven-Goran Eriksson, Portuguese Andre Villas-Boas, and Croatian Ivan Leko. Last season, they were led to the title by relatively unknown Spaniard Javier Pereira. This season, Australian Kevin Muscat is credited with their attractive attacking play and excellent results. Muscat, who played for notable British clubs like Wolves, Glasgow Rangers, Crystal Palace, and Millwall, won the Australian championship twice with Melbourne Victory and the Japanese title with Yokohama as a coach.

Muscat shares a football philosophy similar to his more famous compatriot Ange Postecoglou. He insists on high-tempo attacking football with a high defensive line, which leads to many goals. This season, his team, led by forward Wu Lei, has scored 72 goals in 21 matches.

Shenhua is just two points behind their city rivals, and their resurgence is primarily due to Russian coach Leonid Slutsky, who transformed the Shanghai Flower from an average team into a serious title contender in a short period. Slutsky made a name for himself between 2009 and 2016 as the coach of CSKA Moscow and was the Russian national team coach for a year (2015-16). He later coached Hull City in England, Vitesse in the Netherlands, and Rubin Kazan.

Slutsky improved the Blues in all aspects, focusing on positional play and solid organized defense. His team may not be as effective as their city rivals, but they have conceded only eight goals in 21 matches, ten fewer than Muscat's leading Shanghai Port. Additionally, Slutsky's Shenhua handed the Red Eagles their only defeat of the season, beating them 1-0 in the Super Cup in February.

On Saturday, August 17, 2024, both unbeaten Shanghai teams will face off at Shenhua's stadium, which holds over 70,000 spectators. This major clash of clubs from China's largest city will likely provide a significant answer to who will win the national crown. Will it be the third title for the red Shanghai Port or the first national trophy since 1995 for the blue traditional giant Shenhua?

Chinese football today is light-years away from the madness where Chinese clubs were throwing money at football stars. Once a team with ultra-star players, Shanghai Shenhua is now fighting for the championship.

About a decade ago, the Chinese Super League (CSL) was at the center of the football world. Chinese clubs spent incredible sums to attract the biggest football stars from Europe and South America to East Asia. However, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, which started in China, the country curbed its deregulated spending, and the "golden age" came to an end.

One of the clubs that spent heavily on foreign stars during that period was the traditional Shanghai giant, Shanghai Shenhua. During that time, stars like Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba, and Tim Cahill played in the blue jersey of the Shanghai Flower. Shenhua also had several well-known foreign coaches during this period, including Englishman Howard Wilkinson, Uruguayan Gus Poyet, and Frenchman Jean Tigana.

Despite this, Shenhua has never been the champion since the professional Super League was established in 2004. Their only (recognized) Chinese championship title dates back to 1995, with the 2003 title stripped due to match-fixing. In 2008, they were on the brink of the title in the final round, but Colombian Hamilton Ricard missed a penalty, and the title went to Shandong.

Shenhua has always been in the shadow of more successful southern Chinese neighbors Guangzhou Evergrande and Jiangsu Suning. However, both clubs lost their sponsors a few years ago. Guangzhou, which won seven consecutive titles from 2011 to 2017, was relegated to the second division, and Jiangsu folded a year after winning the championship in 2020.

Instead of Shenhua, city rival Shanghai Port took advantage, winning its first title in 2018 and another last year. The club, initially named Shanghai East Asia, was founded on Christmas Day 2005 by Xu Genbao, the coach who led Shenhua to its only recognized title in 1995. Xu needed a club where players from his football school, established five years earlier, could play.

In 2013, the Reds were promoted to the Super League, and over time, a real rivalry developed between them and Shenhua. However, the Shanghai rivals never directly competed for the title until this season. This year, they are neck and neck at the top of the standings, both unbeaten, and the Shanghai derby is likely to decide the champion.

Shanghai Port remains the only Chinese club with a globally recognized star from the golden era, Brazilian Oscar. Oscar transferred from Chelsea for £60 million at the height of the Chinese football boom in 2017 and still plays in the red jersey seven years later.

The Reds have been managed by many eminent coaches in the past, such as Swedish Sven-Goran Eriksson, Portuguese Andre Villas-Boas, and Croatian Ivan Leko. Last season, they were led to the title by relatively unknown Spaniard Javier Pereira. This season, Australian Kevin Muscat is credited with their attractive attacking play and excellent results. Muscat, who played for notable British clubs like Wolves, Glasgow Rangers, Crystal Palace, and Millwall, won the Australian championship twice with Melbourne Victory and the Japanese title with Yokohama as a coach.

Muscat shares a football philosophy similar to his more famous compatriot Ange Postecoglou. He insists on high-tempo attacking football with a high defensive line, which leads to many goals. This season, his team, led by forward Wu Lei, has scored 72 goals in 21 matches.

Shenhua is just two points behind their city rivals, and their resurgence is primarily due to Russian coach Leonid Slutsky, who transformed the Shanghai Flower from an average team into a serious title contender in a short period. Slutsky made a name for himself between 2009 and 2016 as the coach of CSKA Moscow and was the Russian national team coach for a year (2015-16). He later coached Hull City in England, Vitesse in the Netherlands, and Rubin Kazan.

Slutsky improved the Blues in all aspects, focusing on positional play and solid organized defense. His team may not be as effective as their city rivals, but they have conceded only eight goals in 21 matches, ten fewer than Muscat's leading Shanghai Port. Additionally, Slutsky's Shenhua handed the Red Eagles their only defeat of the season, beating them 1-0 in the Super Cup in February.

On Saturday, August 17, 2024, both unbeaten Shanghai teams will face off at Shenhua's stadium, which holds over 70,000 spectators. This major clash of clubs from China's largest city will likely provide a significant answer to who will win the national crown. Will it be the third title for the red Shanghai Port or the first national trophy since 1995 for the blue traditional giant Shenhua?