Chinese Super League Research Articles

Unveiling the nonlinear dynamics of player performance in China’s super league as a function of age

To explore the dynamics in physical and technical performance of professional football players and changes across age groups. Match statistics were collected from 1900 games across ten seasons (2012–2021) in the Chinese Super League. Generalized additive models visualized age-related trends in 12 key performance indicators including technical and physical variables. Revealed nonlinear trajectories characterized by rapid early declines, stable peak periods and accelerated late decreases. Physical indicators decreased progressively from the early 20 s before stabilizing briefly then declining further after 30. Conversely, technical metrics gradually improved into the late 20 s and early 30 s prior to decreasing again. This study provides novel evidence that football performance changes nonlinearly across age. Targeted training and development strategies should be tailored to the specific needs of different career stages.

Comparison of individual playing styles in football

Abstract This paper attempts to identify football players who have a similar style to a player of interest. Playing style is not adequately quantified with traditional statistics, and therefore style statistics are created using tracking data. Tracking data allow us to monitor players throughout a match, and therefore include both “on-the-ball” and “off-the-ball” observations. Having developed style features, tractable discrepancy measures are introduced that are based on Kullback–Leibler divergence in the context of multivariate normal distributions. Examples are provided where a pool of players from the Chinese Super League are identified as having a playing style that is similar to players of interest.

Developing a Conceptual Model of Corporate Social Responsibility of the Chinese Super League Clubs

ABSTRACT Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is seen as one of the key areas of sustainability for sport organizations. Although the rapid development of professional sport is evidenced, the evaluation and classification of CSR is still an under-researched area, especially in the eastern context. This study proposes a conceptual CSR model of the Chinese Super League (CSL) clubs, including five dimensions: economic, youth, community, environmental, and cultural responsibility. The establishment of the conceptual model is based on sound theoretical foundations, such as sustainable development, positive youth development, a sense of community, and globalization theories. Each dimension’s validity is assessed while considering the uniqueness of Chinese Super League. This study provides theoretical evidence to support the multidimensional nature of CSR, which adds value to CSR research in the Chinese professional sport context. At a strategic level, it enlightens club managers and the Chinese Football Association to develop better CSR strategies.

Are there meaningful changes in the performance of professional soccer teams from the first half of the match to the second? Evidence from the data of eight consecutive seasons of the Chinese Super League

ABSTRACT In the aim to better understanding the dynamic of performance changes between the first and second halves of professional soccer teams, statistics of 1899 matches from 2012 to 2019 of the Chinese Super League (CSL) were collected and analysed. The generalised mixed linear modelling was used to estimate the mean change of each of 40 physical and technical performance-related parameters of soccer teams from the first half of the match to the second, controlling the effects of match status, match location, team strength and opponent strength. Results showed that, out of the selected 40 parameters, only goals (first half vs second half M ± SD: 0.60 ± 0.76 vs 0.82 ± 0.92, ES; ±99% confidence limits: 0.21; ±0.05), shots (5.7 ± 2.8 vs 6.8 ± 3.3, 0.34; ±0.05), individual possession in the attacking third (55 ± 21 vs 62 ± 25, 0.31; ±0.05), cross (9.7 ± 4.6 vs 10.9 ± 5.8, 0.24; ±0.06) and yellow cards (0.75 ± 0.84 vs 1.24 ± 1.07, 0.45; ±0.06) showed substantially increment from the first half to the second, other parameters presented only trivial changes. Hence, it is concluded that the physical performance of soccer teams in the second half did not show meaningful change, while technical actions related to attacking tended to increase. The findings can offer soccer coaches valuable insights into when and how to adjust their tactics, manage their players, thus can maintain or enhance the team’s match performance.

Acceleration and age in soccer

This paper considers how player acceleration changes in soccer relative to age. A plot of average maximum acceleration versus age is produced. The construction of the plot is based on methods from functional data analysis and the availability of tracking data from the 2019 season of the Chinese Super League. For an individual player, we calculate his maximum acceleration for each single match of the 2019 season. Since the players’ maximum accelerations are observed only on a single season instead of their entire careers, we treat them as incomplete functional data, called functional snippets. The average maximum acceleration, i.e., the mean function of the functional snippets rather than full curves is estimated by a local linear smoothing method. The most important observation is that the shape of the acceleration curve closely resembles curves of soccer performance versus age. This observation has implications for predicting future performance since acceleration is more easily and more accurately measured than performance.

Consumer Engagement on Weibo in a Professional Sport Context: The Case of the Chinese Super League

Online fan communities on social media are an effective avenue for sport organizations to engage sport fans. Sport fans who identify with online fan communities express positive and negative consumer engagement behavior (CEB) on social media. Most researchers focus on the positive valence of CEB. This study explores the mediating effect of both positive and negative valences of CEB between online fan community identification and behavioral intention simultaneously. Additionally, the moderating effect of satisfaction with teams’ performance is examined. This study contributes to the conceptualization of the negative valence of CEB on social media and extends the literature on the dual valence of CEB in the sport context. It also provides insights to sport managers on relationship marketing on social media.

The influence of tactical formation on physical and technical performance across playing positions in the Chinese super league

This study aimed to investigate the impact of tactical formations on the physical and technical performance of professional football players in the Chinese Super League (CSL). A sample of 800 games from the 2015–2021 CSL was analyzed, and players' physical (total distance covered, distance covered while ball in play, number of sprints, sprint distance, and high/middle/low-speed running) and technical (gain/loss of possession, ball retention percentage, challenges, challenge success percentage, passes, and pass success percentage) performance was assessed across six team formations: 3-5-2 (n = 137), 4-3-3 (n = 77), 4-2-3-1 (n = 391), 4-4-2 (n = 257), 3-4-3 (n = 41), and 4-1-4-1 (n = 107). Linear mixed models were used to assess variations in performance indicators across positions and formations. The results demonstrated that central defenders traveled significantly more total and low-speed running distances in the 3-5-2 formation than in the 4-2-3-1 formation (ES range: 0.33–0.34, p < 0.01). Fullbacks in the 3-5-2 formation demonstrated more high-speed running than did those in the 4-4-2 formation (ES = 0.27, p = 0.04). The central midfielders exhibited significantly more sprints and longer sprint distances in the 4-2-3-1 formation than in the 4-4-2 formation (ES range: 0.2–0.24, p < 0.01). Regarding technical performance, central defenders displayed significantly greater ball retention percentages, passes, and pass success rates in the 3-4-3 than in the 3-5-2 formations (ES range: 0.58–0.65, p < 0.01). Moreover, fullbacks and central midfielders executed markedly more passes with superior pass success rates in 4-back formations than in 3-5-2 formations (ES range: 0.2–0.53, p < 0.01). These findings can help coaches and academic staff understand the physical and technical requirements of various positions in various tactical formations, thus optimizing the training process.

Analysis of the physical morphology and athletic performance of local and naturalised players in the Chinese Super League

ABSTRACT Background: The integration of naturalized players in Chinese soccer since 2019 has sparked significant debate, with mixed results raising questions about the effectiveness of this policy in improving the national team’s performance. Objectives: This study aims to analyze the differences in physical morphology and athletic performance between local and naturalized players in the Chinese Super League to assess the impact of naturalization on the national team’s competitiveness. Methods: Utilizing the AMISCO computerized tracking system, we collected and analyzed data from 561 matches spanning the 2019-2021 seasons. Employing mixed linear models, we examined the variance in key physical morphology and performance-related variables, with standardized differences assessed through Magnitude-Based Inference (MBI). Results: Our findings indicate modest but significant differences in physical morphology between local and naturalized defenders (P &lt; 0.05, -0.32 &lt; ES &lt; -0.42). Performance-wise, naturalized defenders outperformed local counterparts in both technical and tactical aspects and demonstrated superior high-intensity running capabilities. Similarly, naturalized midfielders showed a slight edge over local midfielders in technical, tactical, and running proficiency. Conversely, local forwards exhibited marginally better technical and tactical performance compared to their naturalized counterparts, albeit with minimal differences in running ability. Conclusion: This study reveals that while naturalized players demonstrate certain advantages in physical morphology and athletic performance compared to local players in the Chinese Super League, these advantages are not consistent across all positions.

Non-linear trends using the generalized additive models in physical and technical performances of the Chinese Super League players.

This study aimed to investigate the non-linear evolution of position-specific physical and technical performance indicators across different tactical formations in the Chinese Super League (CSL) from the 2015 to the 2021 seasons. Match data were collected from 800 games played in six common formations (3-5-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2, 3-4-3, and 4-1-4-1). Players were classified into five positions: central defenders (CD; match observations = 2,219), fullbacks (FB; match observations = 2,060), central midfielders (CM; match observations = 2,786), wide midfielders (WM; match observations = 1,587), and forwards (FW; match observations = 1,680). Generalized additive models (GAMs) were constructed to analyze the nonlinear evolution trends in position-specific physical and technical performance across seasons and formations. The results showed that the total distance covered by CDs in the 3-5-2 formation showed a non-linear upward trend from the 2015 to 2021 seasons (R2 = 0.3, p = 0.006); FBs in the 3-4-3, 4-1-4-1, and 3-5-2 formations exhibited non-linear upward trends in number of sprints and sprint distance from the 2015 to 2021 seasons (R2 = 0.189-0.448; P < 0.03, respectively); the high-speed running of FWs in the 4-2-3-1 formation displayed a non-linear decline trend from the 2015 to 2021 seasons (R2 = 0.477; P < 0.001); CMs in the 4-2-3-1 formation demonstrated a non-linear increasing trend in the ball retention percentage (R2 = 0.369; p = 0.001); WMs in the 4-4-2 formation showed a non-linear decreasing trend in ball retention percentage and passes from the 2015 to 2021 seasons (R2 = 0.259-0.29; P = 0.006, respectively). These findings revealed non-linear evolutionary trends in physical and technical performances across positions and formations, providing an in-depth understanding of the changing match demands placed on players during matches. This enables the optimization of training and tactics by developing targeted strategies tailored to meet the specific requirements of different formations and playing positions.

Analysis of the Operational Model and Business Management Strategy of the Chinese Super League (CSL) Based on the SWOT Model

The China Super League (CSL) holds a prominent position as the first soccer league in China and ranks among the most popular leagues in Asia. However, despite its success, the CSL faces several challenges that hinder its further development. This essay delves into an in-depth analysis of the CSL, utilizing the SWOT model to identify its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Beginning with an exploration of the CSL's background and historical development, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of this league. By understanding its origins and evolution, we can better grasp the factors that have contributed to its current status. One critical aspect of this analysis involves identifying the weaknesses and strengths within the CSL. These factors encompass various facets of the league, including player performance, financial stability, fan engagement, and marketing strategies. By pinpointing these internal elements, we can gain insights into areas that require improvement as well as those that can be leveraged to enhance the league's standing. Moreover, this essay delves into the external factors that impact the CSL's operations and growth potential. These factors may encompass economic trends, government policies, international competitions, and global soccer dynamics. Recognizing the external opportunities and threats allows us to construct a holistic view of the CSL's position within the broader context of the soccer world. Through the SWOT analysis and the exploration of specific examples, we aim to provide valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities that the CSL faces.

Exploratory Factor Analysis: A Pentagonal Evaluation Model Based on Football Player Stats

Abstract Introduction Starting from the information feedback of cybernetics theory, mathematical statistics methods have powerful application and interpretation functions in sports events to solve practical problems of football player evaluation. Data Source The data comes from Sofascore.com. Using the players’ position on the field as a classification, their technical statistics were checked one by one, and the original database of the 2021 Chinese Super League was established. The team consisted of 289 players, with 61 forwards, 133 midfielders, and 95 defenders. Method Factor analysis was conducted on the original data using IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 26.0). The evaluation model was obtained after determining the comprehensive score of players using loading and variance contribution rates according to the relevant methods and steps. Conclusions The total cumulative variance contribution rate of these factors is 74.155%. The five evaluation factors of players are Direct Attack, Basic Pass, Cooperative Defense, Aggressive Pass, and Risky Defense. In the pentagon evaluation model, F1 accounted for 26.88%, F2 for 20.42%, F3 for 20.40%, F4 for 18.54%, and F5 for 13.74%. Finally, the player’s score and club’s ranking are calculated and tested, and the results indicate that the effect is good.

Political economy and football in new market: the case of the Chinese Super League

As the most popular sport in the world, football (soccer) has long been closely related to politics and the economy. In China, significant growth and changes in economy and power impacted the development of the football market and the Chinese Super League (CSL) as a new product. By adopting the theoretical framework of Giulianotti’s ‘new political economy of football’, this article explores the CSL’s brief history, the policies and the strategies of football development in China and analyses the relationship between the CSL and its political economy context. The conclusion of this study indicates that the development of the CSL was largely impacted by its political economy environment, including the state and local government, the Chinese Football Association (CFA), the media, private companies, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Demand for Chinese Super League Broadcast: An Analysis of Broadcasters’ Match Selection and TV Ratings

ABSTRACT Research question The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors affecting broadcasters’ choice of matches and audience viewership of live Chinese Super League (CSL) matches. Research methods Data came from 720 matches spanning 2017–2019, with 122 selected for CCTV5 telecasts. Broadcasters’ match selections and TV ratings were regressed on antecedent factors of the demand for televised CSL matches. Results and findings The broadcaster selection model showed broadcasters’ preferences for higher outcome uncertainty, higher athlete salaries, higher league standings, and teams contending for the CSL Championship. The viewership model indicated higher TV ratings for matches with larger fan bases, higher athlete salaries, higher-ranked teams, and those held on weekends or at night. Implications This study expands football media demand research and is one of the few to explore match selection and viewership factors in CSL. It offers practical insights for sport broadcasters and league managers in Asian and global contexts.

Temperature and outdoor productivity: Evidence from professional soccer players

We estimate the causal effects of ambient temperature on outdoor productivity, using the performance data of professional soccer players in the Chinese Super League (CSL) from 2014 to 2018. We exploit exogenous variation in the players’ exposure to temperature by matching it with hourly stadium temperature at the time of kick-off. We find that temperature has an inverted-U shaped relationship with players’ physical performance, and high temperature has a sizeable adverse impact on the cognitive performance. Our results are robust while considering alternative measures of productivity, potential avoidable behaviors, various playing styles, and possible climate adaptations. Furthermore, we focus on the economic consequences of reducing players’ productivity by investigating the adverse impacts of high-temperature exposure on social media attention and players’ human capital accumulation. Our findings suggest that the temperature profoundly impacts on the careers of outdoor workers both in the short- and long-term.

The influence of technical performance indicators on the results of the Chinese Football Super League at different stages of the season-based on evidence from the 2010–2019 seasons

This study explored the different influences of technical indicators on match results in different stages of football league play. Sample data from 2400 Chinese Super League matches during 2010–2019 were divided into three season stages according to round sequence: the early stage (1–10 rounds), the middle stage (11–20 rounds), and the late stage (21–30 rounds). A two-way, fixed-effect ordered logit model was then constructed and used, together with Fisher’s combination test, to compare regression results. The study results showed that: (1) when controlling for other variables, as the league progresses, an increase in goals will gradually increase the possibility of better match results, and this increase shows significant differences between the early and late stages ( p &lt; 0.05). The possibility of better match results by an extra goal is 0.075 times higher in the late stage than the early stage. (2) While maintaining all control variables, as the season progresses, the increase in red card penalties will gradually multiply the probability of worse match outcomes, and this increase is also significantly different between the early and middle stages and between the early and late stages ( p &lt; 0.05). The possibility of worse match outcomes due to the presence of an extra red card is 0.377 times higher in the middle stage and 0.476 times higher in the late stage than the early stage.

Chinese Super League: Missing Out Aspects on Service Quality and Brand Equity

Chinese sports market gained tremendous attention in recent days as China held the 2022 Winter Olympic Games successfully. However, in contrast to other sports markets, the attention given to the Chinese Super League (CSL), the top-division soccer league in China, seems to have decreased catastrophically. The CSL was once popular among the public in its golden era but met a recession in recent years. Service quality and brand equity were two of the major factors that directly influenced spectators' experiences in the western market, followed by previous studies. The study from Grönroos suggests that service quality has three dimensions: functional, technical, and image. The study from Keller suggests that brand equity was built by consumers based on their knowledge and experience of a brand. From former empirical research, it is unsure if those models fit different occasions in China, and whether the depression of the CSL can be explained by the missing aspects of service quality and brand equity. The results from review actions by CSL revealed that both thrive of the CSL and the recession of the CSL followed by brand equity and service quality model. Meanwhile, several suggestions have been raised based on the two models that can be implemented to help the CSL out of catastrophe.

Association between evergrande FC's club debt and Chinese super league's profitability from 2014 to 2019.

This study examined the role of Evergrande FC's club debt on the Chinese Super League (CSL)'s profitability from 2014 to 2019. We extracted the financial statements of Evergrande FC and evaluated its correlation with the profitability of CSL and Evergrande Group, which serves as a direct indicator of commercial growth. The association between Evergrande FC's net loss and gross debt and CSL's profitability is positive, strong (all correlation coefficients > .89), and statistically significant (all p < .05). The association between Evergrande FC's net asset value and CSL's profitability is negative, strong (correlation coefficient = -.97), and statistically significant (p < .05). These data imply that there is a good likelihood of a causal relationship between the negative club returns generated by real estate investments and CSL's rapid commercial growth from 2014 to 2019. In essence, a dovish monetary-regulatory policy nexus during this period drove up the CSL premium. This business history from the sports industry is another illustration of how the modern coupling of economic leverage and regulatory policy could have asymmetric impacts on short-term market growth. Based on this debt-fueled business history, CSL should progress to a higher level of development in the future.

Comparative Study on The Business Models of the Chinese and British Football Super League

As one of the top football leagues in the world, the Premier League's business model is established according to the operation and management of modern enterprises. China's professional football league was officially launched in 1993, and its business model is still relatively low. Through a comparative study of the business models of the Chinese and British Premier League, it is found that the maturity of the Premier League's business model is inseparable from its nearly 100-year football professionalization process. The British Premier League has much autonomy in the management of the league. It is a monopoly organization with clear property rights over the league and strong independence in operation and management. At the same time, the league’s profits mainly come from high TV broadcast income and considerable advertising and sponsorship income. The entire business model of the Premier League has a side worthy of our country's learning and reference. The Chinese Football Association should minimize its intervention in the Chinese Super League, especially in commercial operations, and give full play to the market's regulatory role. At the same time, the Chinese Football Association should also imitate the management mechanism of the English Football Association, reduce administrative intervention in the Chinese Super League in terms of functions, and shift the focus of work from the overall management of the Chinese Super League to the construction of Chinese national teams and football echelons at all levels. Gradually fade out of the overall control of the Chinese Super League.

Match performance of football teams in different competition phases: Analysis on the data of eight consecutive seasons in the Chinese Super League.

The study aims to quantify the variation in the physical and technical match performance of football teams in different months of a season in the Chinese Super League (CSL). Data of 1,899 matches in the seasons 2012-2019 of CSL collected by Amisco Pro® were analysed. The generalised mixed modelling was employed to estimate the per match mean values of six physical performance-related parameters and 16 technical performance-related parameters of CSL teams in every month of all the eight seasons. Results showed that: (1) the mean values of all the analysed physical performance-related parameters (total/sprint/HSR/MSR distance, sprint/HSR efforts) of CSL teams through a season were characterised like a 'U' shape, the highest value was observed in the beginning of season (March), then decreased gradually, reaching the lowest in August, and rebounded progressively from September to November; (2) the mean values of eight technical performance-related parameters (goals, shots, shot accuracy, individual possession, individual possession in the last third, crosses, cross accuracy and yellow cards) presented trivial changes through the whole season; (3) the number of passes, passes per shot, forward passes, and time in individual possession showed trivial changes from March to October, but showed a substantially increase in November (the last month of season); (4) Pass accuracy, forward pass accuracy, and the number of mean ball touches per individual possession substantially increased in June, July and August, whilst the number of challenges, ground challenges, air challenges, tackles and fouls all substantially decreased in these 3 months. These results could provide detailed information to help the practitioners choose the best training and match preparation strategy in the means of periodisation in different season phases.

Soccer Match Results and Sponsor Stock Returns - An Analysis Based on Behavioral Economics Perspective

Using the event study method, the impact of Chinese Super League match results on title sponsors' share prices was empirically analysed from a behavioral economics perspective. The main section considers the impact of variables such as win-loss relationship, home and away factors, Friday's important match day and the last five rounds on the A-share market and the H-share market respectively, and draws conclusions. The article aims to explore the possible patterns of fluctuations in the market capitalization and share price of sponsors following sponsorship of football clubs in the context of gold-dollar football, influenced by the results of matches. Can the outcome of a Chinese Super League match affect the value of a sponsor's shares? If so, what kind of investor sentiment is reflected behind the fluctuations in share price? What can be done to improve the effectiveness of corporate sponsorship? To this end, this paper analyses the issue from the perspective of behavioral economics, combined with the event study method, in order to provide theoretical references for the study of Chinese football sponsorship.