FACTBOX-Soccer-Chinese Super League
Coach: Vitor Pereira (Portugal) 2018 finish: Champions
Shanghai SIPG's huge spending over the last four years finally paid off with the club breaking Guangzhou Evergrande's stranglehold on the CSL title to claim their first-ever trophy. Their hopes of repeating that success rest on maintaining a level of continuity, with no major arrivals during the close season.
However, the loss of Wu Lei, the CSL's leading scorer last year, following his move to La Liga's Espanyol will no doubt have a huge impact on their chances of retaining the title. GUANGZHOU EVERGRANDE
Coach: Fabio Cannavaro (Italy) 2018 finish: 2nd
For the first time since gaining promotion to the CSL in 2011, Guangzhou Evergrande did not claim the title as Fabio Cannavaro's aging side struggled to match the attacking potency of Shanghai SIPG. The return of midfielder Paulinho after a year-long stint with Barcelona and the signing of fellow Brazilian Anderson Talisca midway through last season gave Guangzhou a boost and Cannavaro's side will be among the favourites for this year's title after also signing a raft of young Chinese talent, including the promising Wei Shihao.
SHANDONG LUNENG Coach: Li Xiaopeng (China)
2018 finish: 3rd Coach Li Xiaopeng built on the achievements of predecessor Felix Magath and turned Shandong Luneng into a genuine title contender in 2018, with a third-place finish as well as a run to the Chinese FA Cup final.
The signing of Marouane Felliani has further bolstered the four-time former champions and the arrival of the Belgian should see Shandong dominate teams in the air. Whether the former Manchester United man can compensate for the loss of prolific Brazilian forward Diego Tardelli will be key factor in the club's hopes for success in 2019.
BEIJING GUOAN Coach: Roger Schmidt (Germany)
2018 finish: 4th Beijing Guoan's Chinese FA Cup win in November was their first trophy since claiming the Chinese Super League in 2009 and coach Roger Schmidt has been given the tools over the close season to launch a genuine title challenge.
South Korean defender Kim Min-jae, one of Asia's most promising centre halves, has been signed to bolster a defence that conceded 45 goals in 30 games last year while China international striker Zhang Yuning arrives with a lot to prove after failing to build a career in Europe. DALIAN YIFANG
Coach: Choi Kang-hee (South Korea) 2018 finish: 11th
Dalian Yifang struggled for much of their first season back in the top flight of Chinese football, with Bernd Schuster arriving after five games to replace Ma Lin and eventually guiding the club to safety. Experienced South Korean coach Choi Kang-hee has taken over for 2019 and the twice Asian Champions League winner will be expected to launch a challenge for the title after the club owners signed Marek Hamsik from Napoli in February, joining former Atletico Madrid pair Yannick Carrasco and Nicolas Gaitan. (Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
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