Chinese Super League to continue playing through World Cup
- Football officials announce the last round of the Chinese Super League will be played on December 18, the same day as the World Cup final
- Eleven clubs, including unbeaten league leader Wuhan Three Towns, will play at their own stadiums when the league returns on August 5
Chinese football authorities have confirmed that the current Chinese Super League season will not break for the World Cup finals in November and December once it returns to action on August 5.
The league took a scheduled break upon the conclusion of the opening 10 rounds on July 12 to accommodate the China national team’s involvement in the East Asian Championship in Japan.
With 24 rounds remaining and China not having qualified for the World Cup, the league will play on during proceedings in Qatar, which begin on November 21.
The last round of the Chinese Super League will be played on December 18, the same day as the World Cup final.
Eleven of the Chinese Super League’s 18 teams will be permitted to play at their own stadiums following the return of the home-and-away format after almost three years.
Those 11 clubs include Shandong Taishan, Guangzhou FC, Changchun Yatai, Guangzhou City, Henan Songshan Longmen, Wuhan Yangtze River and current league leaders Wuhan Three Towns who are yet to lose a game.
Matches in the initial phase of the campaign were played in three biosecure venues in an effort to minimise travel as a result of the Chinese government’s ongoing attempts to implement a zero-Covid strategy.