View source for Soccer-Chinese Football In Disarray As Champions Jiangsu FC Cease...

<br>By Gabriel Crossley<br> <br>BEIJING,  [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/tour-trung-quoc-quang-chau-tham-quyen-bang-tuong-5-ngay.html kynghidongduong.vn] Feb 28 (Reuters) - Chinese football was thrown into disarray on Sunday as the owners of reigning Chinese Super League champions Jiangsu FC announced the club would cease operations with immediate effect.<br> <br>A post on Jiangsu's official WeChat account expressed hope of new backers or that a "company of insight" would be willing to consult on the team's future.<br> <br>The announcement stated all of owners Suning Group's football clubs, including the hugely successful Jiangsu Suning Women, would "cease operations from today".<br> <br>The Nanjing-based retailer, one of China's biggest and which also owns Italian Serie A club Inter Milan, earlier in February said it intended to focus on core businesses, leaving non-retail assets at risk.<br> <br>These assets include Jiangsu FC, which won the Chinese Super League title in November for the first time with a playoff win over eight-time champions Guangzhou Evergrande.<br> <br>That victory was the pinnacle of a run by a once cashed-up club previously coached by ex-England manager Fabio Capello, and which in the summer of 2019 attempted to sign Gareth Bale, formerly the world's most expensive player, from Real Madrid.<br> <br>The squad that clinched the title and a place in this year's Asian Champions League featured Brazilian winger Alex Teixeira, who chose to make a 50 million euro ($60.37 million) switch to Jiangsu in 2016 over interest from Premier League side Liverpool.<br> <br>When Teixeira refused to sign a new contract at the end of last season and with coach Cosmin Olaroiu reported to be unlikely to return to the club,  [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/tour-trung-quoc-quang-chau-tham-quyen-bang-tuong-5-ngay.html tour quảng châu từ hà nội] questions started to be asked of Jiangsu's financial future and the knock-on impact on football in China.<br> <br>The Jiangsu announcement comes days after Chinese FA Cup winners [http://mommysavers.com/?s=Shandong%20Luneng Shandong Luneng] had their expulsion from the Asian Champions [http://wideinfo.org/?s=League%20confirmed League confirmed] by the Asian Football Confederation due to "overdue payables".<br> <br>Should Jiangsu fail to find new owners soon, their absence could cause further upheaval in the Asian Champions League ahead of the start of the continental competition in April.<br> <br>Retailer Suning.com, also part of the Suning Group, said on Thursday shareholders plan to sell 20% to 25% of the company to unnamed buyers, which might lead to a change in control as its parent seeks to raise cash.<br><br>($1=0.8282 euros) (Reporting by Gabriel Crossley; Additional reporting by Michael Church and Pei Li; Editing by Christopher Cushing)<br>