Chinese Super League 2006
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This article is about the 2006 season of the Chinese Football Association Super League (中国足球协会超级联赛 or 中超), also known as Chinese Super League (CSL), which is the premier football league in China under the auspices of the Chinese Football Association.
The season started on March 11, 2006 and it is planned that two teams will be relegated at the end of the season.
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[edit] Promoted for the 2006 season
[edit] Relegated after the 2006 season
[edit] Preseason
A number of changes occurred during the off season, notably some major changes to the teams. Inter Shanghai was moved to Xi'an and was renamed Xian Chanba. Shanghai Zobon was bought by Shanghai Liancheng and renamed Shanghai Liancheng Zobon.
Beijing Hyundai, who may not renew their contract with Hyundai motors, change their team name back to their formal name, Beijing Guoan.
Shenzhen Jianlibao changed its team name to Shenzhen Kingway after finding a new sponsor in Kingway brewery.
There was also some speculation that Liaoning FC would pull out from the league, and that the Chinese Football Association had prepared a schedule with only 14 teams should Liaoning have withdrawn.
The biggest shock was the disbanding of Sichuan Guancheng in January, so the league will only have 15 teams at the start of the season, 1 short of the 16 teams planned.
[edit] Player transfers
Shanghai Shenhua, who qualify for the AFC Champions League, boost their squad with Li Wei Feng from the debt-ridden Shenzhen Jianlibao for 6.5 million RMB, the highest transfer fee this season. In additional, Shenhua bought over Liu Yun Fei from Tianjin Teda for 0.9 million and recalled defender Du Wei from Glasgow Celtic.
Desperately in need of money, Shenzhen Jianlibao was also forced to sell China's first choice goalkeeper, Li Leilei to Shandong Luneng for 5 million; Former national striker Yang Chen to the newly promoted Xiamen Lanshi for 2 million and Zhou Ting to Beijing Hyundai for 3.5 millions.
Other notable transfers includes Wang Liang's 5 million move from Liaoning FC to Shandong, An Qi's 4 million move from defending champions Dalian Shide to Xiamen and An Shuai, Zhou Yi, Sun Bing, Cha Kejun's four players move from Shandong to Qingdao Zhongneng for 1 million each.
[edit] The season
Shangdong Luneng and new comer Changchun Yatai both had a good spell early on while defending champions Dalian struggled early on. During the mid season, Changchun finally cannot kept up with the pace of the top league and gradually drops to forth in the league. Meanwhile, a record 13 league win in a row saw Shandong Luneng gaining an unassailable lead at the top. With Shandong the clear winner, the interest in the second half of the season was the race to the second place and the fight against relegation.
In the end, Chongqing Lifan was relegated with 2 games to go while the race for second went all the way down the wire before Shanghai Shenhua clinch the second spot with a last day win over Liaoning while Beijing slips.
[edit] Final league table
P = Games Played; W = Games Won; D = Games Drawn; L = Games Lost; F = Goals For; A = Goals Against; Pts = Points |
