The 2007 Chinese Super League season or the Kingway Chinese Super League, as it was known for sponsorship reasons, was the fourth edition since its establishment, the 14th season of professional football as well as being the 46th top-tier league season in China. The league started on March 3 and ended on November 14. Changchun Yatai clinched the league title for the first time in the last game of the season, while Xiamen Lanshi was relegated with two games to spare. Coincidentally, both of these teams were promoted in the previous season.
The champions as well as the runner-up of the league would qualify for the 2008 AFC Champions League as was the same from the previous season. The Chinese FA Cup was canceled due to the intended expansion of the league to 16 teams, however Shanghai United and Shanghai Shenhua merged, which saw the Chinese Football Association decide to leave the league with 15 teams for the season.
Promotion and relegation Teams promoted from the 2006 China League One Henan Jianye Zhejiang Lucheng
Teams relegated from the 2006 Chinese Super League Chongqing Lifan
Pre-season change Zhu Jun, the owner of Shanghai United, bought a majority share of their crosstown rival. The 7th placed team of the previous season, Shanghai United was merged into two times CSL runner-up Shanghai Shenhua. The new team play under the name Shanghai Shenhua United but use the stadium of the former Shanghai United – Yuanshen Sports Centre Stadium in Pudong, Shanghai as their home ground.
Clubs ClubChinese nameSeasons in CSLBest finish, SeasonWorst finish, SeasonBeijing Guoan北京国安2004 to 20073rd, 20067th, 2004Changchun Yatai长春亚泰2006 & 20074th, 20064th, 2006Changsha Ginde长沙金德2004 to 20078th, 200413th, 2005 & 2006Dalian Shide大连实德2004 to 20071st, 20055th, 2004 & 2006Henan Jianye河南建业2007N/AN/ALiaoning Zhongyu辽宁足球俱乐部2004 to 20074th, 200412th, 2006Qingdao Zhongneng青岛中能2004 to 20077th, 200514th, 2006Shaanxi Baorong陕西宝荣2004 to 20073rd, 20048th, 2005Shandong Luneng山东鲁能泰山2004 to 20071st, 20063rd, 2005Shanghai Shenhua上海申花2004 to 20072nd, 2005 & 200610th, 2004Shenzhen Shangqingyin深圳上清饮2004 to 20071st, 200412th, 2005Tianjin TEDA天津泰达2004 to 20074th, 20056th, 2004 & 2006Wuhan Guanggu武汉光谷2005 to 20075th, 200510th, 2006Xiamen Lanshi厦门蓝狮2006 & 20078th, 20068th, 2006Zhejiang Lucheng浙江绿城2007N/AN/A
Personnel
TeamManager Beijing Guoan Lee Jang-soo Changchun Yatai Gao Hongbo Changsha Ginde Milan Živadinović Dalian Shide Jo Bonfrère Henan Jianye Pei Encai Liaoning Zhongyu Tang Yaodong Qingdao Zhongneng Yin Tiesheng Shaanxi Baorong Cheng Yaodong Shandong Luneng Ljubiša Tumbaković Shanghai Shenhua Wu Jingui Shenzhen Shangqingyin Zhang Jun Tianjin TEDA Jozef Jarabinský Wuhan Guanggu Chen Fangping Xiamen Lanshi Gao Daming Zhejiang Lucheng Zhou Sui'an
Foreign players The number of foreign players is restricted to four, but all teams can only use three foreign players on the field in each game. Players from Hong Kong, Macau and Chinese Taipei are deemed to be native players in CSL.
Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window. Players in italics were out of the squad or left the club within the season, after the pre-season transfer window, or in the mid-season transfer window, and at least had one appearance.
Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Former players Beijing Guoan Aderaldo Alysson Luis Santamaría Walter Martínez Tiago Miodrag Pantelić Changchun Yatai Svetoslav Petrov Elvis Scott Samuel Caballero Guillaume Dah Zadi Changsha Ginde Sandro Aboubakar Oumarou Čedomir Mijanović Garba Lawal Saša Zorić Dalian Shide Zoran Janković Patrick Mevoungou Darko Drinić Miodrag Anđelković Henan Jianye Ivo Trenchev Arthur Gómez Olivier Fauconnier Imed Ben Younes Darko Kremenović Liaoning Zhongyu Ryan Griffiths Clément Lebe Viktor Brovchenko Qingdao Zhongneng Damir Ibrić Igor Budiša Benedict Akwuegbu Dumitru Mitu Joca Dejan Sarić Shaanxi Baorong Rafael Scheidt Ronny Sérgio Júnior Juan Manuel Olivera Ivan Bulat Shandong Luneng Predrag Pažin Aleksandar Živković Nikola Malbaša Branko Baković Shanghai Shenhua Hámilton Ricard Saúl Martínez Diego Alonso Sergio Blanco Ronny Laurent Leroy Fernando Correa Shenzhen Shangqingyin Bamba Moussa Michael Valenzuela Bogdan Zając Marek Zając Dramane Kamaté Tianjin TEDA Charles Chad Darko Matić Jurica Vučko Henry Makinwa Vidak Bratić Wuhan Guanggu Bruno Lança Gilsinho Roberto Aleixo Vicente Xiamen Lanshi Quinzinho Gabriel Melkam Branko Jelić Saša Zorić Zheijang Lucheng Argel Fuchs Marcelo Rosa Tico Wágner Eduardo Marques
Hong Kong/Chinese Taipei/Macau players (doesn't count on the foreign player slot) Club Player 1Shanghai Shenhua Ng Wai Chiu
League table
Top scorers Rank Scorer Club Goals 1 Li JinyuShandong Luneng 15 2 Han Peng 13 3 Elvis ScottChangchun Yatai 12 4 TiagoBeijing Guoan 10 Guillaume Dah Zadi Changchun Yatai 6 Du Zhenyu 9 7 Liu JianQingdao Zhongneng 8 Tao Wei Beijing Guoan Yan Xiangchuang
Attendances
League attendance Total attendance: 3,173,500 07中超统计：场均观众1.51万人 收视人次1.44亿 at sports.cn 2008-01-11 Retrieved 2013-01-08 (In Chinese) Average attendance: 15,112
Clubs attendance Football club Average attendanceShaanxi Baorong24,643Shandong Luneng22,607Beijing Guoan21,571Zhejiang Lucheng19,571Henan Jianye16,857Changchun Yatai16,429Liaoning Zhongyu15,929Tianjin TEDA15,429Wuhan Guanggu13,179Shenzhen Shangqingyin13,000Shanghai Shenhua11,393Changsha Ginde10,571Dalian Shide10,286Xiamen Lanshi8,036Qingdao Zhongneng7,179
Awards Chinese Football Association Footballer of the Year: Du Zhenyu (Changchun Yatai) Chinese Super League Golden Boot Winner: Li Jinyu (Shandong Luneng) Chinese Football Association Young Player of the Year: Hao Junmin (Tianjin TEDA) Chinese Football Association Manager of the Year: Gao Hongbo (Changchun Yatai) Chinese Football Association Referee of the Year: Sun Baojie Chinese Super League Fair Play Award: Dalian Shide, Tianjin TEDA, Beijing Guoan
See also Chinese Super League Football in China Chinese Football Association China League One China League Two Chinese FA Cup
References
External links Official site of the Chinese Football Association (in Chinese) Official site of the Chinese Super League (in Chinese) Yahoo! China – Chinese Super League 2007 (in Chinese)