The 2018 Ping An Chinese Football Association Super League () was the 15th season since the establishment of the Chinese Super League. The league title sponsor was Ping An Insurance. Shanghai SIPG won their first ever top-flight title on 7 November 2018 after their 2–1 victory against Beijing Renhe, ending a historic run for Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao, who had won seven consecutive titles beginning with the 2011 season.
Policy regarding foreign players and U-23 domestic players continued to change in this season. At least one domestic player who is under the age of 23 (born on or after 1 January 1995) must be in the starting eleven, the same as in the 2017 season. However, two foreign-player policies have changed: (1) the number of foreign players on a club's roster has been reduced from five to four and (2) the total number of foreign players under contract with a club in a season has been reduced from seven to six. In addition, a new policy affecting both foreign players and U-23 domestic players has been introduced: The total number of foreign players appearing in matches must be no more than the total number of U-23 domestic players. Players from AFC countries no longer hold a special slot. But clubs can register one non-naturalized player from the Hong Kong Football Association, Macau Football Association or Chinese Taipei Football Association (except goalkeepers) as a native player. According to the Chinese FA, a non-naturalized player is a player who was first registered as a professional footballer in one of the three aforementioned football associations. For still more complexity concerning non-naturalized players, players from Hong Kong and Macau must be passport holders of the Hong Kong SAR or the Macau SAR, and players from Taiwan must be citizens of Taiwan. Policy of U-23 domestic players was relaxed in August for the 2018 Asian Games. It existed in name only from October when China U-25 training team was organized.
Club changes Clubs promoted from 2017 China League One Dalian Yifang Beijing Renhe
Clubs relegated to 2018 China League One Yanbian Funde Liaoning Whowin
Beijing Renhe and Dalian Yifang return to the division after a 2-year absence and a 3-year absence respectively. Liaoning Whowin were relegated after an 8-year spell in the Chinese top-flight, while Yanbian Funde were relegated to China League One after spending 2 seasons in the Chinese Super League.
Name changes Guizhou Hengfeng Zhicheng changed their name to Guizhou Hengfeng in December 2017.
Clubs
Clubs and locations Team Head coach City Stadium Capacity 2017 season Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao Fabio Cannavaro Guangzhou Tianhe Stadium 58,500 1st Shanghai SIPG Vítor Pereira Shanghai Shanghai Stadium 56,842 2nd Tianjin Quanjian Park Choong-kyun Tianjin Haihe Educational Football Stadium 28,046 3rd Hebei China Fortune Chris Coleman Langfang Langfang Stadium 30,040 4th Guangzhou R&F Dragan Stojković Guangzhou Yuexiushan Stadium 18,000 5th Shandong Luneng Taishan Li Xiaopeng Jinan Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium 56,808 6th Changchun Yatai Chen Jingang Changchun Changchun Stadium 41,638 7th Guizhou Hengfeng Dan Petrescu Guiyang Guiyang Olympic Sports Center 51,636 8th Beijing Sinobo Guoan Roger Schmidt Beijing Workers' Stadium 66,161 9th Chongqing Dangdai Lifan Jordi Cruyff Chongqing Chongqing Olympic Sports Center 58,680 10th Shanghai Greenland Shenhua Wu Jingui Shanghai Hongkou Football Stadium 33,060 11th Jiangsu Suning Cosmin Olăroiu Nanjing Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre 61,443 12th Tianjin TEDA Uli Stielike Tianjin Tianjin Olympic Centre 54,696 13th Henan Jianye Wang Baoshan Zhengzhou Hanghai Stadium 29,860 14th Dalian Yifang P Bernd Schuster Dalian Dalian Sports Centre Stadium 61,000 CL1, 1st Beijing Renhe P Luis García Plaza Beijing Beijing Fengtai Stadium 31,043 CL1, 2nd
Managerial changes
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Tianjin Quanjian Fabio Cannavaro Resigned 6 November 2017 Pre-season Paulo Sousa 6 November 2017 Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao Luiz Felipe Scolari End of contract 9 November 2017 Fabio Cannavaro 9 November 2017 Shanghai SIPG André Villas-Boas End of contract 30 November 2017 Vítor Pereira 12 December 2017 Shandong Luneng Taishan Felix Magath End of contract 1 December 2017 Li Xiaopeng 1 December 2017 Chongqing Dangdai Lifan Chang Woe-ryong Mutual consent 10 December 2017 Paulo Bento 11 December 2017 Henan Jianye Guo Guangqi (caretaker) End of caretaker spell 18 December 2017 Dragan Talajić 18 December 2017 Dalian Yifang Juan Ramón López Caro End of contract 26 December 2017 Ma Lin 26 December 2017 Dalian Yifang Ma Lin Sacked 19 March 2018 16th Bernd Schuster 19 March 2018 Jiangsu Suning Fabio Capello Mutual consent 28 March 2018 12th Cosmin Olăroiu 28 March 2018 Henan Jianye Dragan Talajić Sacked 21 April 2018 14th Chang Woe-ryong 26 April 2018 Hebei China Fortune Manuel Pellegrini Mutual consent 19 May 2018 8th Chris Coleman 10 June 2018 Guizhou Hengfeng Gregorio Manzano Sacked 7 June 2018 16th Dan Petrescu 7 June 2018 Chongqing Dangdai Lifan Paulo Bento Resigned 22 July 2018 13th Hao Haitao (caretaker) 22 July 2018 Chongqing Dangdai Lifan Hao Haitao (caretaker) Sacked 8 August 2018 14th Jordi Cruyff 8 August 2018 Henan Jianye Chang Woe-ryong Mutual consent 27 September 2018 15th Wang Baoshan 27 September 2018 Tianjin Quanjian Paulo Sousa Resigned 4 October 2018 13th Shen Xiangfu (caretaker) 4 October 2018 Tianjin Quanjian Shen Xiangfu (caretaker) Joined China U-25 training team 5 October 2018 13th Park Choong-kyun 18 October 2018
Foreign players
Clubs can register a total of six foreign players over the course of the season, but the number of foreign players allowed on each CSL team at any given time is limited to four. A maximum of three foreign players can be fielded in each match. In addition, each club can register a Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan player of Chinese descent (excluding goalkeepers), provided that he registered as a professional footballer in one of those three association for the first time, as a native player. Players named in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window. Players named in ITALICS have left the club, or are off the roster due to being injured or sent to the reserves.
TeamPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Player 4Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan PlayersFormer players Beijing Renhe Augusto Fernández Benjamin Moukandjo Ayub Masika Makhete Diop Ivo Jaime Ayoví Beijing Sinobo Guoan Renato Augusto Cédric Bakambu Jonathan Soriano Jonathan Viera Changchun Yatai Lasse Vibe Odion Ighalo Adrian Mierzejewski Nemanja Pejčinović Marinho Anzur Ismailov Chongqing Dangdai Lifan Alan Kardec Fernandinho Luiz Fernandinho Sebá Nicolás Aguirre Dalian Yifang Nicolás Gaitán Yannick Carrasco Duvier Riascos Nyasha Mushekwi José Fonte Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao Alan Paulinho Ricardo Goulart Talisca Nemanja Gudelj Kim Young-gwon Guangzhou R&F Júnior Urso Renatinho Eran Zahavi Duško Tošić Tan Chun Lok Marko Perović Guizhou Hengfeng Nikica Jelavić Bubacarr Trawally Kevin Boli Mario Suárez Festus Baise Tjaronn Chery Hebei China Fortune Ezequiel Lavezzi Javier Mascherano Hernanes Ayoub El Kaabi Gervinho Henan Jianye Fernando Karanga Ivo Christian Bassogog Ricardo Vaz Tê Orlando Sá Cala Jiangsu Suning Alex Teixeira Éder Gabriel Paletta Ramires Richmond Boakye Shandong Luneng Taishan Diego Tardelli Gil Róger Guedes Graziano Pellè Papiss Cissé Shanghai Greenland Shenhua Fredy Guarín Giovanni Moreno Óscar Romero Demba Ba Obafemi Martins Shanghai SIPG Elkeson Hulk Oscar Odil Ahmedov Tianjin Quanjian Alexandre Pato Anthony Modeste Kwon Kyung-won Axel Witsel Tianjin TEDA Johnathan Goiano Felix Bastians Frank Acheampong Mikel John Obi For Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwanese players, if they are non-naturalized and were registered as professional footballers in Hong Kong's, Macau's, or Chinese Taipei's football association for the first time, they are recognized as native players. Otherwise they are recognized as foreign players. Festus Baise is a naturalized citizen of Hong Kong SAR; however, since his first registered football association was Hong Kong and is the passport holder of Hong Kong SAR, he would be considered as a native player. Player that has returned from a loan spell. It is unsure whether they will be registered for the season or sent out on loan again, but they are now on the wage bills of their respective clubs.
League table
Results
Positions by round
Results by match played
Player statistics
Top scorers Source: RankPlayerClubGoals1 Wu LeiShanghai SIPG2 Odion IghaloChangchun Yatai3 Eran ZahaviGuangzhou R&F4 Cédric BakambuBeijing Sinobo Guoan5 Diego TardelliShandong Luneng Taishan17 Frank AcheampongTianjin TEDA7 Alan KardecChongqing Dangdai Lifan16 TaliscaGuangzhou Evergrande Taobao Graziano PellèShandong Luneng Taishan10 Alexandre PatoTianjin Quanjian15 Nyasha MushekwiDalian Yifang
Top assists Source: RankPlayerClubAssists1 OscarShanghai SIPG2 Renato AugustoBeijing Sinobo Guoan3 HulkShanghai SIPG4 Yu HanchaoGuangzhou Evergrande Taobao5 Jonathan VieraBeijing Sinobo Guoan6 Wu LeiShanghai SIPG8 Eran ZahaviGuangzhou R&F Graziano PellèShandong Luneng Taishan9 Ezequiel LavezziHebei China Fortune7 Nicolás GaitánDalian Yifang Fan YunlongGuizhou Hengfeng Jiang ZhipengHebei China Fortune Jin JingdaoShandong Luneng Taishan Peng XinliChongqing Dangdai Lifan Zhang ChengdongHebei China Fortune ÉderJiangsu Suning
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Ref Alan Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao Guangzhou R&F 4–5 Eran Zahavi Guangzhou R&F Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao 5–4 Oscar Shanghai SIPG Dalian Yifang 8–0 Wu Lei Shanghai SIPG Dalian Yifang 8–0 Wu Lei4 Shanghai SIPG Guangzhou R&F 5–2 Frank Acheampong Tianjin TEDA Tianjin Quanjian 3–2 Obafemi Martins Shanghai Greenland Shenhua Hebei China Fortune 4–2 Odion Ighalo4 Changchun Yatai Guizhou Hengfeng 5–2 Bubacarr Trawally Guizhou Hengfeng Beijing Sinobo Guoan 3–4 Talisca Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao Guizhou Hengfeng 4–0 Alan Kardec Chongqing Dangdai Lifan Guizhou Hengfeng 3–4 Jonathan Soriano Beijing Sinobo Guoan Hebei China Fortune 6–3 Nyasha Mushekwi Dalian Yifang Guangzhou R&F 3–0 Renato Augusto Beijing Sinobo Guoan Tianjin TEDA 5–2 Dong Xuesheng Hebei China Fortune Chongqing Dangdai Lifan 4–4 Alexandre Pato Tianjin Quanjian Guangzhou R&F 6–2
Awards The awards of 2018 Chinese Super League were announced on 21 November 2018.
Award Winner Club Ref Player of the Season Wu LeiShanghai SIPG Golden Boot Goalkeeper of the Season Yan Junling Shanghai SIPG Young Player of the Season Huang Zichang Jiangsu Suning Manager of the Season Li Xiaopeng Shandong Luneng Taishan Best Referee Zhang Lei – Best Assistant Referee Huo Weiming – Most Popular Player Jin Jingdao Shandong Luneng Taishan
Team of the Year Goalkeeper Yan Junling (Shanghai SIPG) Defender Wang Tong (Shandong Luneng Taishan) Feng Xiaoting (Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao) Zhang Linpeng (Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao) Li Xuepeng (Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao) Midfielder Huang Zichang (Jiangsu Suning) Paulinho (Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao) Oscar (Shanghai SIPG) Jin Jingdao (Shandong Luneng Taishan) Forward Wu Lei (Shanghai SIPG) Hulk (Shanghai SIPG)
League attendance
References
External links Current CSL table, and recent results/fixtures at Soccerway Chinese Super League table at FIFA Chinese Super League official site