The 2020 Chinese Super League, officially known as the 2020 Ping An Chinese Football Association Super League () for sponsorship reasons, was the 17th season since the establishment of the Chinese Super League. The season was scheduled to begin on 22 February and to end on 31 October, but was postponed following the COVID-19 pandemic. On 1 July 2020, the Chinese Football Association announced that the season would be split into two stages. In the first stage, which began on 25 July 2020 and concluded on 29 September 2020, 16 teams were split into two groups in two locations, one in Dalian and the other in Suzhou. On 2 September 2020, the Chinese Football Association announced that the second stage would begin on 16 October 2020 and conclude on 12 November 2020.
Jiangsu Suning beat defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao 2–1 on aggregate in the finals to win their first and only top-flight title: three months after the season, Jiangsu folded.
As a result, fourth-placed Shanghai SIPG gained a place in the 2021 AFC Champions League along with Guangzhou and Beijing Sinobo Guoan, while Shijiazhuang Ever Bright avoided relegation.
Club changes Clubs promoted from 2019 China League One Qingdao Huanghai Shijiazhuang Ever Bright
Clubs relegated to 2020 China League One Beijing Renhe
Dissolved entries Tianjin Tianhai
Shijiazhuang Ever Bright return to the division after a 3-year absence. Qingdao Huanghai compete in the Chinese Super League for the first time in the club's history. Beijing Renhe were relegated to China League One after spending 2 seasons in the Chinese Super League. Shenzhen were reprieved from relegation after finishing second-bottom due to the dissolution of Tianjin Tianhai.
Name changes Dalian Yifang F.C. changed their name to Dalian Pro in January 2020.
Clubs
Personnel and stadiums
Team Head coach City Stadium Capacity 2019 season Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao Fabio Cannavaro Guangzhou Tianhe Stadium 54,8561st Beijing Sinobo Guoan Bruno Génésio Beijing Workers' Stadium 66,1612nd Shanghai SIPG Vítor Pereira Shanghai Yuanshen Sports Centre Stadium 16,0003rd Jiangsu Suning Cosmin Olăroiu Nanjing Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre 61,443 4th Shandong Luneng Taishan Hao Wei Jinan Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium 56,8085th Wuhan Zall Pang Li (caretaker) Wuhan Wuhan Five Rings Sports Center 30,000 6th Tianjin TEDA Wang Baoshan Tianjin Tianjin Olympic Centre 54,6967th Henan Jianye Javier Pereira Zhengzhou Hanghai Stadium 29,8608th Dalian Pro Rafael Benítez Dalian Dalian Sports Centre Stadium 60,8329th Chongqing Dangdai Lifan Chang Woe-ryong Chongqing Chongqing Olympic Sports Center 58,68010th Hebei China Fortune Xie Feng Langfang Langfang Stadium 30,04011th Guangzhou R&F Giovanni van Bronckhorst Guangzhou Yuexiushan Stadium 18,00012th Shanghai Greenland Shenhua Choi Kang-hee Shanghai Hongkou Football Stadium 33,06013th Qingdao Huanghai P Wu Jingui Qingdao Conson Stadium 45,000CL1, 1st Shijiazhuang Ever Bright P Afshin Ghotbi Shijiazhuang Yutong International Sports Center 29,000CL1, 2nd Shenzhen Jordi Cruyff Shenzhen Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre 60,33415th
Locations
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Chongqing Dangdai Lifan Jordi Cruyff Mutual consent 14 December 2019 Pre-season Chang Woe-ryong 18 December 2019 Wuhan Zall Li Tie Signed by China 2 January 2020 José González 4 January 2020 Guangzhou R&F Dragan Stojković Mutual consent 3 January 2020 Giovanni van Bronckhorst 4 January 2020 Qingdao Huanghai Juan Manuel Lillo Mutual consent 5 June 2020 Wu Jingui 4 August 2020 Henan Jianye Wang Baoshan Mutual consent 6 July 2020 Yang Ji (caretaker) 9 July 2020 Shenzhen Roberto Donadoni Sacked 11 August 2020 Group A, 6th Jordi Cruyff 14 August 2020 Tianjin TEDA Uli Stielike Sacked 19 August 2020 Group B, 8th Wang Baoshan 19 August 2020 Henan Jianye Yang Ji (caretaker) End of caretaker spell 11 September 2020 Group A, 8th Javier Pereira 11 September 2020 Wuhan Zall José González Sacked 24 September 2020 Group B, 6th Pang Li (caretaker) 24 September 2020 Shandong Luneng Taishan Li Xiaopeng Mutual consent 5 October 2020 Group A, 3rd Hao Wei 5 October 2020 Coach nationality country Number China 5 Netherlands 2 Spain 2 South Korea 2 Iran 1 Portugal 1 Italy 1 France 1 Romania 1
Foreign players
Foreign players: The number of foreign players (excluding goalkeepers) that clubs can register over the course of the season is increased from six to seven and the number of foreign players allowed on each CSL team at any given time is also increased from four to five. A maximum of five foreign players can be registered for each match with a maximum of four can be fielded at any time during the match. Naturalized players: There is no limits in registering naturalized players. There is no limits in fielding Chinese-descent naturalized players. However, only one non-Chinese-descent naturalized player can be fielded as native player while other non-Chinese-descent naturalized player(s) fielded will be counted as foreign player(s). Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan players: Each club can register one Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan player of Chinese descent (excluding goalkeepers), provided that he was registered as a professional footballer in one of those three associations for the first time in his career, as a native player.
Players name in bold indicates the players that were registered during the mid-season transfer window. Players name in ITALICS indicates the players that left their respective clubs during the mid-season transfer window.
TeamPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Player 4Player 5Naturalized playersHong Kong/Macau/Taiwan PlayersReserves playersFormer players Beijing Sinobo Guoan Fernando Renato Augusto Cédric Bakambu Kim Min-jae Jonathan Viera → Alan→ Nico Yennaris→ John Hou Sæter Chongqing Dangdai Lifan Alan Kardec Fernandinho Marcelo Cirino Marcinho Adrian Mierzejewski Dalian Pro Jailson Emmanuel Boateng Marcus Danielson Sam Larsson Salomón Rondón Marek Hamšík Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao Paulinho Talisca Park Ji-soo → Aloísio→ Elkeson→ Fernandinho→ Tyias Browning Guangzhou R&F Mousa Dembélé Renatinho Richairo Živković Adrian Mierzejewski Duško Tošić Tan Chun Lok Dia Saba Eran Zahavi Hebei China Fortune Samir Memišević Marcão Paulinho Mohamed Buya Turay → Ricardo Goulart Henan Jianye Toni Šunjić Fernando Karanga Henrique Dourado Ivo Christian Bassogog Tim Chow Kim Sung-hwan Jiangsu Suning Alex Teixeira Miranda Ivan Santini Mubarak Wakaso Éder Qingdao Huanghai Joseph Minala Dejan Radonjić Romain Alessandrini Jagoš Vuković Denis Popović Yaki Yen Cléo Shandong Luneng Taishan Marouane Fellaini Moisés Róger Guedes Tamás Kádár Graziano Pellè Leonardo Shanghai Greenland Shenhua Stéphane Mbia Giovanni Moreno Fidel Martínez Miller Bolaños Kim Shin-wook → Alexander N'Doumbou Stephan El Shaarawy Obafemi Martins Shanghai SIPG Aaron Mooy Marko Arnautović Hulk Oscar Ricardo Lopes Odil Ahmedov Shenzhen John Mary Harold Preciado Morteza Pouraliganji Ole Selnæs Song Ju-hun Dai Wai Tsun Thievy Bifouma Blerim Džemaili Shijiazhuang Ever Bright Matheus Muriqui Rômulo Oscar Maritu Stoppila Sunzu Tianjin TEDA Sandro Lima Tiquinho Soares Felix Bastians Frank Acheampong Odil Ahmedov Johnathan Goiano Wuhan Zall Léo Baptistão Eddy Gnahoré Jean Evrard Kouassi Obafemi Martins Daniel Carriço Rafael Silva 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.
Regular season
Group A
Stadiums Dalian Sports Centre Stadium Dalian Youth Football Training Base Main Stadium Jinzhou Stadium Puwan Stadium (Reserve)
League table
Results
Positions by round
Results by match played
Group B
Stadiums Kunshan Sports Centre Stadium Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre Suzhou Sports Center Changshu Stadium (Reserve)
League table
Results
Positions by round
Results by match played
Championship stage
Bracket
Quarter-finals
First leg (Round 15)
Second leg (Round 16)
Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao won 8–1 on aggregate.
Beijing Sinobo Guoan won 4–3 on aggregate.
1–1 on aggregate. Shanghai SIPG won 5–4 on penalties.
Jiangsu Suning won 2–1 on aggregate.
Semi-finals The winners will qualify for the 2021 AFC Champions League group stage.
First leg (Round 17)
Second leg (Round 18)
Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao won 3–1 on aggregate.
Jiangsu Suning won 3–2 on aggregate.
5th–8th place playoffs
First leg (Round 17)
Second leg (Round 18)
Shandong Luneng Taishan won 8–5 on aggregate.
3–3 on aggregate. Chongqing Dangdai Lifan won 10–9 on penalties.
7th–8th place playoffs
First leg (Round 19)
Second leg (Round 20)
Shanghai Greenland Shenhua won 5–1 on aggregate.
5th–6th place playoffs
First leg (Round 19)
Second leg (Round 20)
5–5 on aggregate. Shandong Luneng Taishan won 4–3 on penalties.
3rd–4th place playoffs
First leg (Round 19)
Second leg (Round 20)
Beijing Sinobo Guoan won 3–2 on aggregate.
Beijing Sinobo Guoan qualified for the 2021 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs, and as Jiangsu Suning folded after the season, Shanghai SIPG also qualified.
Finals
First leg (Round 19)
Second leg (Round 20)
Jiangsu Suning won 2–1 on aggregate.
Relegation stage
Bracket
9th–16th place playoffs
First leg (Round 15)
Second leg (Round 16)
Tianjin TEDA won 3–1 on aggregate.
Dalian Pro won 3–2 on aggregate.
Henan Jianye won 2–1 on aggregate.
Guangzhou R&F won 2–1 on aggregate.
9th–12th place playoffs
First leg (Round 17)
Second leg (Round 18)
Tianjin TEDA won 3–2 on aggregate.
Henan Jianye won 5–3 on aggregate.
13th–16th place playoffs
First leg (Round 17)
Second leg (Round 18)
Shenzhen won 3–2 on aggregate.
3–3 on aggregate. Qingdao Huanghai won 5–4 on penalties.
15th–16th place playoffs
First leg (Round 19)
Second leg (Round 20)
Wuhan Zall won 2–1 on aggregate.
Wuhan Zall qualified to the relegation play-offs. Shijiazhuang Ever Bright were to be directly relegated to the 2021 China League One, but were reprieved from relegation after Jiangsu Suning folded.
13th–14th place playoffs
First leg (Round 19)
Second leg (Round 20)
Shenzhen won 4–1 on aggregate.
11th–12th place playoffs
First leg (Round 19)
Second leg (Round 20)
Guangzhou R&F won 4–3 on aggregate.
9th–10th place playoffs
First leg (Round 19)
Second leg (Round 20)
Henan Jianye won 2–1 on aggregate.
Relegation play-offs
Overview
Matches
First leg
Second leg
Wuhan Zall won 3–2 on aggregate and stayed in the Chinese Super League.
Final ranking Rank Team Qualification or relegation1 Jiangsu Suning (C, D) Folded after season2 Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao Qualification for AFC Champions League group stage3 Beijing Sinobo Guoan4 Shanghai SIPG Qualification for AFC Champions League play-off round5 Shandong Luneng Taishan 6 Chongqing Dangdai Lifan7 Shanghai Greenland Shenhua8 Hebei China Fortune9 Henan Jianye10 Tianjin TEDA11 Guangzhou R&F12 Dalian Pro13 Shenzhen14 Qingdao Huanghai15 Wuhan Zall (O) Qualification for relegation play-offs16 Shijiazhuang Ever Bright (R) Reprieved from relegation after Jiangsu Suning folded
Player statistics
Top scorers Source: RankPlayerClubGoals1 Cédric BakambuBeijing Sinobo Guoan2 PaulinhoGuangzhou Evergrande Taobao3 MarcãoHebei China Fortune11 John MaryShenzhen5 Alex TeixeiraJiangsu Suning6 Alan KardecChongqing Dangdai Lifan9 Romain AlessandriniQingdao Huanghai ÉderJiangsu Suning Salomón RondónDalian Pro10 Henrique DouradoHenan Jianye8 Wei ShihaoGuangzhou Evergrande Taobao Graziano PellèShandong Luneng Taishan Jean Evrard KouassiWuhan Zall Adrian MierzejewskiChongqing Dangdai Lifan / Guangzhou R&F
Top assists
Source: