2003 Chinese Jia-A League

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. 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. 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 en route to winning the 2003 league title. 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 took a bribe from former Tianjin TEDA 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.

Also within the season, Chongqing Lifan 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/china04.html|title= China 2004

Personnel

Foreign players

League standings

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))

Top scorers

Awards

Player of the year (Golden Ball Award)

• GER Jörg Albertz (Shanghai Shenhua)

Top scorer (Golden Boot Award)

• CHN Li Yi (Shenzhen Jianlibao)
• GHA Kwame Ayew (Changsha Ginde)
• HON Saul Martínez (Shanghai Shenhua)

Manager of the year

• CHN Wu Jingui (Shanghai Shenhua)

Youth player of the year

• CHN Liu Jindong (Shandong Luneng)

CFA Team of the Year

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

References

References

1. link. Chinese Football Association. (2013-02-18)
2. (2012-06-14). "Match-fixing led to stars' downfall". shanghaidaily.com.
3. (2011-03-31). "Details of soccer referee investigation released to public". chinadaily.com.cn.
4. link. sports.sina.com.cn. (2012-01-31)
5. (18 February 2013). "Breaking News: Shenhua and Tianjin face 6 point deduction; Xu Hong barred from football for 5 years". wildeastfootball.net.
6. (18 February 2013). "China Strips Shenhua of 2003 League Title, Bans 33 People for Life". english.cri.cn.
7. (2012-06-14). "Match-fixing led to stars' downfall". shanghaidaily.com.
8. (December 29, 2003). "Chinese military football team disbanded". english.people.com.cn.
9. (18 Apr 2004). "2003 Chinese league tables".