Wuhan Zall, the CSL team from coronavirus epicentre, hurtle towards ‘cruel’ relegation
- Team close to dropping to second division after eight-game winless streak in Chinese Super League
- Coach Pang Li hopes to beat Qingdao after ‘stressful’ year which includes being marooned in Spain
Wuhan Zall are fighting for survival in the Chinese Super League (CSL), desperate to avoid a heartbreaking end to a year that began with them stranded outside their coronavirus-scarred city.
The football club from ground zero of the pandemic are embroiled in a relegation dogfight after going eight matches without a victory in the virus-shortened season.
Wuhan, who finished sixth of the 16 clubs last year, have collapsed after a promising start and must now beat Qingdao Huanghai over two legs. The first leg is on Thursday.
If they lose the tie, they will play a nail-biting relegation decider, with the beaten team dropping into China’s second division. The winner could still get relegated, as they must then beat the team that finishes second in the second division to avoid the drop.
Pang Li, who stepped up to become coach when Wuhan suspended Spaniard Jose Gonzalez last month after a run of poor results, called football “a very stressful sport”.