The East Stand

Chinese Super League’s Tianjin Tianhai available for ‘free’ amid football finance meltdown

Shenzhen reported to take CSL spot if Tianjin Tianhai cannot find new owner and fulfil Chinese FA requirements

Dramatic fall from grace for side that reached AFC Champions League quarters with Alex Pato and Axel Witsel

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Alex Pato celebrates scoring in the 2018 AFC Champions League against Guangzhou Evergrande when the club was known as Tianjin Quanjian. Photo: AFP

Formerly of the South China Morning Post, Jonathan White has written about sport from China for nearly 15 years, and covered the Beijing 2008 Olympics, the Fifa World Cup in Brazil in 2014 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Published: 1:28pm, 10 Mar 2020Updated: 1:28pm, 10 Mar 2020

If you fancy yourself as the next David Beckham, Elton John or perhaps petro-state royalty then you’re in luck. You, too, can become the owner of a top-flight football club.

Chinese Super League side Tianjin Tianhai are up for sale. Well, that’s not quite right, the 2018 AFC Champions League quarter-finalists are actually available for free. Nothing. Gratis.

The Tianjin Football Association said last week it will transfer the rights to whoever can take them on, with several companies reported by local media as being interested.

“The club have reached a critical moment and in order to maintain the hard-fought position in the Chinese Super League, have, after careful considerations, made a difficult decision,” read a statement on the club’s official social media channels. “We will transfer 100% of the club with zero fee.”

There is a catch to getting a club that was valued at some 700 million yuan (US$100 million) for nothing. They come in the form of a reported US$145 million debt, although how much any new owner would be liable for was “negotiable”.