Soccer-New names and fewer stars mark CSL's low-key return

Rather than attempting to retain their first-ever title, Jiangsu have disappeared, having been refused a license for this season's competition after owners Suning announced in February their intention to stop backing the team. The combination of financial difficulties and the impact of the ongoing pandemic have seen a host of well-known players and coaches from overseas depart Chinese football, with few travelling in the opposite direction as replacements.

With no defending champions and a host of unfamiliar names greeting fans, the Chinese Super League makes its return on Tuesday after a close season marked by the spectre of financial ruin and the departure of high-profile players and coaches.

Since Brazilian livewire Alex Teixeira led Jiangsu Suning to victory over Guangzhou Evergrande in the final of the Chinese Super League (CSL) playoffs in mid-November, much has changed. Rather than attempting to retain their first-ever title, Jiangsu has disappeared, having been refused a license for this season's competition after owners Suning announced in February their intention to stop backing the team.

The combination of financial difficulties and the impact of the ongoing pandemic has seen a host of well-known players and coaches from overseas depart Chinese football, with few travelling in the opposite direction as replacements. Rafa Benitez quit as head coach of Dalian Pro while Vitor Pereira departed from the helm of Shanghai SIPG, who also lost star striker Hulk.

Quarantine rules also mean those still contracted to clubs, such as Guangzhou's Brazilian duo Paulinho and Anderson Talisca, are unlikely to be able to play in the opening rounds due to their inability to travel to China. It is a far cry from the days when the spending power of Chinese clubs threatened to upend the game's established order, and it is not just on the field or in the dugout where there will be notable differences.

In a bid to eradicate the overt influence of corporate backers by removing company titles from club names, the Chinese Football Association has insisted on a rebranding of the majority of the country's professional clubs. As a result, Guangzhou Evergrande is now Guangzhou FC while cross-city rivals Guangzhou R&F have rebranded to become Guangzhou City as their property developer-owners have been forced to take a back seat.

Only the most established clubs have been spared the name change, with Shanghai Shenhua and Beijing Guoan - two of Chinese football's oldest outfits - not being forced to make the switch. The shadow of the pandemic will continue to hang over the league, even though the changes in format implemented last season will not remain.

Like last season, matches will initially be played in a pair of biosecure bubbles - one in Suzhou, the other in Guangzhou - but with the hope that the season can be completed in full, without the need for the playoff system used last year.