With Shanghai Port’s 2-1 victory over Meizhou Hakka, the first half of the 2024 Chinese Super League (CSL) season has concluded. Renowned journalist Ma Dexing wrote in the Shanghai-based newspaper “Oriental Sports Daily” that so far, there is only a five-point difference between the bottom eight teams, indicating a large relegation battle, and suggests increasing the number of relegation spots to stimulate competition.
Ma Dexing pointed out that despite the growing enthusiasm among fans this season, the competitive level of the CSL has decreased. “After the return to full home-and-away fixtures this year, the passion from all sides has been on the rise, but the sporting standard continues to decline. To mitigate this, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) has adjusted the policy on foreign players, reducing it from five to slow down this slide.”
At the halfway point, the eight teams at the bottom of the standings are separated by just five points, “The group of teams fighting to avoid relegation has expanded, with only a five-point gap separating Qingdao Haibao, ranked ninth with 15 points, to last-placed Nantong Zhiyun.”
Ma Dexing proposes that in the current scenario, increasing the number of relegation spots could enhance the league’s attractiveness. “By increasing the number of promotions and relegations, say from two up and two down to 3.5 up and 3.5 down, with the 14th-placed team facing off against the fourth team in the China League One (CL1) in a playoff, and potentially increasing the promotion-relegation system in CL1 and China League Two (CL2) to four up and four down or more, such a elimination mechanism would expedite the removal of weaker teams through competitive pressure.”