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Nicolas Atkin

The Chinese Super League is often criticised for introducing self-damaging rules and regulations, but now seven-time champions Guangzhou Evergrande have upped the ante with a set of bizarre player policies.
In new team regulations for the 2019 season that look to be a political decision in line with the league, the club announced they will field no more than two foreigners in any Chinese Super League match – one less than is allowed for by league rules.
Evergrande also said in a statement that at least three players of each 18-man squad will be removed from the next game’s squad.
And in the most bizarre new rule, players will be rated every month with the two lowest-ranked demoted to the reserve team.

Guangzhou Evergrande published team regulation for 2019 CSL: (1) field no more than 2 foreigners each CSL match(2) At least 3 players of the 18-men list should removed from the squad of the next game (3)Rate players every month, 2 last-ranked will be demoted to the reserve team. pic.twitter.com/Iie0IiKf5S
— Titan Sports Plus (@titan_plus) February 17, 2019

The new rules will not apply for AFC Champions League matches, for which Evergrande will field full-strength squads as the competition is seen as playing for national pride.
However, Evergrande could now see themselves tumble down the domestic league having finished runners-up to Shanghai SIPG in 2018 after winning the title for seven straight years from 2011.
After yet another wacky move it’s time to ask: why can’t the Chinese Football Association stop shooting itself in the foot?
Evergrande’s Chinese owners have previously stated their aim of one day winning the league with an all-Chinese team, which could explain the changes.
But the club would struggle to contend for the title without Brazilian midfield duo Paulinho and Anderson Talisca.

It is not known whether Evergrande’s two foreign stars knew of these regulations before agreeing to permanently sign for the club in the summer.
Paulinho rejoined the club from Barcelona, initially on loan, after last summer’s World Cup, having first enjoyed a two-year spell from 2015-2017. Talisca had been on loan from Portuguese side Benfica since 2016.
“Football in China is a joke, this is disgusting,” one commentator on social media said of Evergrande’s new policies.
“Good job CSL for finding new ways to wreck the league,” was another sarcastic comment. Another user noted: “They are going nowhere like that. CSL is killing themselves.”

In 2017, league officials introduced a rule change that clubs are only allowed to field three non-Chinese players on the pitch at any time.
The move aimed to slow down the wave of big-money signings from European clubs as well as encourage the development of Chinese youth players.
The Chinese Football Association introduced further changes in 2018. Each CSL team can now only have a maximum of four foreign players in their squad, and a maximum of six foreigners playing for them throughout the season, while at least one under-23 player must be included in each starting line-up.
A 100 per cent tax on transfers for foreign players over 45 million yuan (US$7 million) brought in last year has also slowed the influx of foreign stars.


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Paulinho is one of the foreign stars at Chinese Super League club Guangzhou Evergrande. Photo: AFP

Football players of Guangzhou Evergrande celebrate after winning the Chinese Super League (CSL) football tournament in Guangzhou, in China's southern Guangdong province on October 22, 2017. Luiz Felipe Scolari's rampant Guangzhou Evergrande won the Chinese Super League (CSL) for the seventh time in a row on October 22, and with two games to spare. / AFP PHOTO / STR / China OUT

(FILES) This file photo taken on July 18, 2018 shows Guangzhou Evergrande's Anderson Talisca reacting during their 2018 Chinese Football Association Super League football match against Guizhou Hengfeng in Guangzhou in China's southern Guangdong province. - Anderson Talisca is ripping it up in the Chinese Super League (CSL), plundering 11 goals in eight games since joining Guangzhou Evergrande to show why he was on the radar of Jose Mourinho. (Photo by STR / AFP) / China OUT / TO GO WITH Fbl-Asia-CHN-Guangzhou-Talisca-BRA,FOCUS by Peter Stebbings

After yet another whacky move it’s time to ask: why can’t the Chinese Football Association stop shooting itself in the foot?

China line-up for a family against Japan last December. The Asian Cup is the next big challenge for China, but how prepared will they be? Photo: EPA

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Two worst players every month, as decided by ratings, will be demoted to reserve team
Seven-time champions Guangzhou Evergrande will field no more than two foreign players per match – one less than Chinese Super League rules allow
