2003 Chinese Jia-A League

The 2003 Chinese Jia-A League season is the tenth season of professional association football and the 42nd top-tier overall league season in China. The league started on March 15 and ended on November 30, 2003 while in preparation for the rebranded Chinese Super League three teams were relegated at the end of the season.

Chinese Jia-A League
Season2003
ChampionsShanghai Shenhua
Relegated
AFC Champions League
A3 Champions Cup
Matches played210
Goals scored546 (2.6 per match)
Top goalscorer14 goals
Average attendance17,710
← 2002

Shanghai Shenhua finished as champions. However, they were later retrospectively stripped of the title on 19 February 2013 for match-fixing.[1] Runners-up Shanghai International were also surrounded in their own match-fixing controversy, which saw several of their players taking bribes.[2] Despite the club itself not being implicated in these crimes the season's title was not awarded to any club.

Overview

The 2003 Chinese Jia-A League season was the last season before it was rebranded as the Chinese Super League by the Chinese Football Association and had 15 teams, with one team provided a bye for each round. Three teams were relegated at the end of the season. However, relegation was based on an averaging system using the last seasons and this season's final position.

At the end of the season, Shanghai Shenhua narrowly won the championship against their local neighbours Shanghai International. Critics would dispute the legitimacy of the title win after it was discovered in 2011 that the Shenhua General manager Lou Shifang bribed the head of the Chinese Football Association referee arrangements Zhang Jianqiang and referee Lu Jun 350,000 yuan each to be bias towards Shenhua in a vital match against Shanghai International in a game that Shenhua won 4–1.[3] While all three men were officially charged with match-fixing, the club was spared any disciplinary action and were allowed to keep the title with the reason provided by the Chinese football association for the leniency being that they would be punishing the individuals who put the game in disrepute and not the club, because Lou Shifang was Shenhua's offending participant and had left the club several years before the allegations were confirmed it would have been harsh to punish the club retrospectively.[4] On 18 February 2013, The CFA decided to change its mind on Shenhua and retrospectively decided to punish the club by revoking its 2003 league title, fining the club 1 million yuan and giving a 6-point deduction at the beginning of the 2013 Chinese Super League season after it was discovered that they also fixed another game against Shaanxi Guoli F.C. en route to winning the 2003 league title.[5][6] Shanghai International, however, were not retrospectively awarded the title after it was officially confirmed on June 13, 2012 that the Shanghai International players Shen Si, Qi Hong, Jiang Jin and Li Ming (1975) took a bribe from former Tianjin Teda F.C. general manager Yang Yifeng to lose their November 30, 2003 game, which saw all offending participants fined and jailed for their crimes as well as the Chinese FA deciding that Tianjin should also face a 1 million Yuan and 6-point deduction at the beginning of the 2013 Chinese Super League season.[7]

Also within the season Chongqing Lifan F.C. were relegated at the end of the campaign. However, they were allowed to remain within the division for next season when they bought Yunnan Hongta's registration and merged the two clubs together.[8] While at the end of the campaign saw the loss of August 1st football club who were relegated and decided to disband at the end of the season. The club who were the sport branch of the People's Liberation Army had been in existence for over fifty years and were one of the most successful clubs in Chinese history during the amateur era. However, because all the players had to be active military members and paid accordingly made it impossible for them to compete with the other clubs who were now also paying professional wages to their players, which also saw the club struggle within the professional era and lead to the clubs disbandment.[9]

League standings
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Shanghai Shenhua[lower-alpha 1] 28 17 4 7 56 33 +23 55 2004 AFC Champions League qualification
2 Shanghai International 28 16 6 6 39 26 +13 54 2004 A3 Champions Cup qualification
3 Dalian Shide[lower-alpha 2] 28 15 8 5 44 22 +22 53 2004 AFC Champions League qualification
4 Shenzhen Jianlibao 28 12 11 5 42 21 +21 47
5 Shenyang Ginde 28 11 10 7 35 31 +4 43
6 Liaoning Zhongshun 28 11 8 9 39 34 +5 41
7 Yunnan Hongta 28 11 7 10 30 27 +3 40
8 Sichuan Guancheng 28 9 10 9 41 42 −1 37
9 Beijing Hyundai Cars 28 9 9 10 34 26 +8 36
10 Tianjin Kangshifu 28 8 12 8 32 33 −1 36
11 Qingdao Beilaite 28 10 5 13 40 50 −10 35
12 Shandong Luneng 28 8 9 11 42 46 −4 33
13 Chongqing Lifan[lower-alpha 3] 28 6 8 14 21 34 −13 26 Relegated to Jia League
14 August 1st 28 6 4 18 23 59 −36 22
15 Shaanxi Guoli 28 3 5 20 28 62 −34 14
Source: rsssf.com
Notes:
  1. Shanghai Shenhua were stripped of the title on 19 February 2013 for the match-fixing scandal in this season.[1]
  2. Dalian Shide won entry to the 2004 AFC Champions League after winning the 2002 Chinese Jia-A League, but because the AFC Champions League rescheduled the tournament, they had their entry moved until 2004.
  3. Chongqing Lifan remained in the league for the following season after merging with Yunnan Hongta.

Relegation

Chinese Super League qualification was based on the average positioning of the teams from the 2002 and 2003 league standings.

(Based on Positions in 2002 (x 0.5) and 2003 (x 1))

Pos
 Team 2002
Position		 2003
Position		 Total
Position		 Qualification
1 Dalian Shide 0.53.03.5Entry to the 2004 Chinese Super League
2 Shenzhen Jianlibao 1.04.05.0Entry to the 2004 Chinese Super League
3 Shanghai International 4.52.06.5Entry to the 2004 Chinese Super League
4 Shanghai Shenhua 6.01.07.0Entry to the 2004 Chinese Super League
5 Liaoning Zhongshun 2.56.08.5Entry to the 2004 Chinese Super League
6 Beijing Hyundai Cars 1.59.010.5Entry to the 2004 Chinese Super League
7 Shenyang Ginde 5.55.010.5Entry to the 2004 Chinese Super League
8 Yunnan Hongta 3.57.010.5Entry to the 2004 Chinese Super League
9 Shandong Luneng 2.012.014.0Entry to the 2004 Chinese Super League
10 Qingdao Beilaite 4.011.015.0Entry to the 2004 Chinese Super League
11 Sichuan Guancheng 7.08.015.0Entry to the 2004 Chinese Super League
12 Tianjin Kangshifu 5.010.015.0Entry to the 2004 Chinese Super League
13 Chongqing Lifan 3.013.016.0Relegated to the Jia League
14 August 1st 6.514.020.5Relegated to the Jia League
15 Shaanxi Guoli 7.515.022.5Relegated to the Jia League

Source:[10]

Top scorers
Rank Scorer Club Goals
1 Saúl Martínez Shanghai Shenhua 14
Li Yi Shenzhen Jianlibao
Kwame Ayew Changsha Ginde
4 Zhang Yuning Shanghai Shenhua 13
Tiago Jorge Honório Shenzhen Jianlibao
Hao Haidong Dalian Shide
7 Ze Alcino Shanghai International 10
Zoran Janković Dalian Shide
9 Wang Xinxin Liaoning Zhongshun 9
Gao Ming Qingdao Beilaite

Awards

Player of the year (Golden Ball Award)

Top scorer (Golden Boot Award)

Manager of the year

Youth player of the year

CFA Team of the Year

Goalkeeper: Jiang Jin (Shanghai International)
Defence: Xu Yunlong (Beijing Guoan), Du Wei (Dalian Wanda), Li Weifeng (Shenzhen Jianlibao), Adilson (Dalian Shide)
Midfield: Zheng Zhi (Shenzhen Jianlibao), Zhao Junzhe (Liaoning Zhongshun), Jörg Albertz (Shanghai Shenhua), Shen Si (Shanghai International)
Attack: Saul Martínez (Shanghai Shenhua), Li Yi (Shenzhen Jianlibao),

See also

References
  1. 中国足协纪律委员会处罚决定（001-038号） (in Chinese). Chinese Football Association. 2013-02-18. Archived from the original on 2013-04-26. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
  2. "Match-fixing led to stars' downfall". shanghaidaily.com. 2012-06-14. Retrieved 2013-05-13.
  3. "Details of soccer referee investigation released to public". chinadaily.com.cn. 2011-03-31. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  4. 足坛反赌涉案队或明年降级 足协：倾向取消当年成绩 (in Chinese). sports.sina.com.cn. 2012-01-31. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  5. "Breaking News: Shenhua and Tianjin face 6 point deduction; Xu Hong barred from football for 5 years". wildeastfootball.net. 18 February 2013. Retrieved 2013-02-20.
  6. "China Strips Shenhua of 2003 League Title, Bans 33 People for Life". english.cri.cn. 18 February 2013. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  7. "Match-fixing led to stars' downfall". shanghaidaily.com. 2012-06-14. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
  8. "China 2004". rsssf.com. 7 Apr 2005. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  9. "Chinese military football team disbanded". english.people.com.cn. December 29, 2003. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  10. "2003 Chinese league tables". rsssf.com. 18 Apr 2004. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
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