Chinese Super League limits number of foreign players

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has just announced a revised competition rule, allowing only 3 foreign players in a club's squad competing in the Chinese Super League.

Over the past 2-3 years, Chinese football teams have often spent money to recruit star players. Recently, the Chinese Super League even expressed interest in buying Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi with huge sums of money.

This was followed by a major transfer to bring Carlos Tevez to the Chinese league and make him the highest paid player in the world at Shanghai Shenhua.

In that context, the limit on the number of foreign players in new clubs was set, to create opportunities for domestic players.

Diego Costa is one of the players being sought after by clubs in the Chinese Super League. Photo: PA Sport

In an effort to regulate the transfer of foreign players, the CFA has just announced on its official website information about new regulations that will take effect from the 2017 domestic league season. The Chinese National Championship officially starts in March.

Other changes to the rules include having two Chinese players under the age of 23 in the squad, at least one of whom must start the match.

The new rules will help “meet the necessary requirements of the overall reform and development of Chinese football” in the period of developing domestic players to improve the national team, according to the CFA announcement. The CFA also plans to review “club investment activities, the payment status of domestic and international players.”

In the wave of spending money to bring star players and foreign players to domestic leagues of Chinese clubs, a series of international players have come to the "promised land". Chelsea midfielders Oscar and John Mikel Obi have come to Chinese clubs.

Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel, former Chelsea striker Demba Ba and ex-Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins all signed for Chinese clubs just before the new rules came into effect.

Meanwhile, Chelsea striker Diego Costa is being offered a move to Tianjin Quanjian for £80m, with an annual salary of £30m.

The Chinese transfer market is open until February 28.

According to bongda.com.vn