The 2023 Dalian Professional F.C. season was the 14th season and the last season in team history. The team was in deep trouble throughout the season, and eventually relegated by winning only 3 league matches. The team failed to acquire entry into the 2024 league due to historical debts, and ceased operation on 17 January 2024.
Overview The CFA decided to ban Dalian Pro from registering new players at the beginning of January for previous salary disputes.
The team started winter training on 8 February for one week, then moved to Haian on 15 February. Multiplayers left the team as their contracts were expired.
As reported, Dalian Pro would be probably banned from transfer by FIFA for one or a few windows for violations in the previous season.
Lin Liangming entered national team's training squad on 26 February. Former Dalian Pro player Sun Guowen was also included.
On 13 March, the team moved again to Shanghai for another stage of preseason training.
Yan Xiangchuang scored the first and the second goal of the 2023 Chinese Super League, setting the team on a flying start. This victory also broke another awkward record that, throughout their Super League seasons (2012–2014, 2018–present), this was the first time that Dalian Pro could win their first match of the season. Previously there were 5 defeats and 3 draws.
Yan Xiangchuang was awarded Player of the Month. At the age of 36, he showed efficiency by scoring three goals out of four matches with only four shots in total.
Dalian Pro was unable to win any match since the first victory. They experienced five consecutive defeats and six consecutive draws in June and July. The team slowly dropped to the relegation zone. The team was able to snatch a tie from league leaders Shanghai Port, but also had desperate matches against relegation opponents Qingdao Hainiu and Nantong Zhiyun.
Gui Bing, chairman of the team, was taken into custody in September. The reason was believed to be connected with Dalian Shanhai Group, the investor of another local football team Dalian Zhixing F.C., as the enterprise was accused of illegal fundraising.
Dalian Pro acquired their second winning upon entering August by a 2–1 victory against Shanghai Shenhua, and the third against relegation opponent Shenzhen. However, the team was unable to acquire another single victory, even when the last two opponents played passive matches. In the last round, if Dalian Pro wins while Nantong finish without victory, Dalian would able to stay in the league. However, as Tsonev missed a critical penalty, the team lost 2–3 to Shanghai Port, finishing this miserable season with a second relegation in the past 3 seasons.
Squad
First team squad
No.NameNat.Place of birthDate of birth (age)JoinedFromNoteGoalkeepers1Zhang Chong Dalian2013Dalian Shide30Wu Yan Yangzhou2022Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic32Kudirat Ablet Yining2021 Gondomar36Wang Jinshuai Dalian2021Dalian Pro youthWith China U-23Defenders2Lin Longchang Dalian2022Guizhou3Zhao Jia'nan Zhengzhou2022Dalian Pro youth4Vas Nuñez Hongkong2022Meizhou Hakka6Wang Xianjun Dalian2020Dalian Pro youth8Zhu Ting Dalian2022Qingdao13Wang Yaopeng Dalian2014Liaoning youth14Huang Jiahui Bozhou2019Dalian Yifang youth16Liu Le Beijing2022Dalian LFTZ Huayi18He Yupeng Anshan2019Dalian Yifang youthMidfielders5Wu Wei Xinxiang2020Tianjin Tianhai10Borislav Tsonev Blagoevgrad2022 Chornomorets Odesa19Wang Zhen'ao Wuhan2020Dalian Pro youth20Wang Tengda Dalian2020Dalian Pro youth22Chen Rong Lu'an2021Dalian Pro youth26Cui Ming'an Dalian2014Dalian Yifang youth28Fei Yu Shanghai2022Nantong Zhiyun31Lü Peng vc Dalian2022Qingdao35Wang Yu Dalian2021Dalian Pro youth38Lü Zhuoyi Guangzhou2022Dalian Pro youth40Nemanja Bosančić Pristina2022 FC LahtiForwards7Lin Liangming Shantou2020 Gondomar9Shan Huanhuan Pingdingshan2019 Vitória Guimarães B11Streli Mamba Göppingen2022 FC Kairat15Zhao Jianbo Dalian2020Dalian Pro youth17Lobi Manzoki Bunia2022 Vipers SC23Shang Yin Shanghai2022Jiangxi Beidamen39Yan Xiangchuang c Dalian2022Beijing BSUUnregistered during the season27Yang Pengju Guiyang2020Dalian Pro youth25Feng Zeyuan Guilin2022Dalian Pro youth33Song Zhiwei Dalian2022Wuhan Yangtze RiverLoaned out
Coaching staff
PositionNameNotesFirst teamHead coach Xie HuiAssistant coach Ng Wai ChiuAssistant coach Chang LinGoalkeeping coach Everton da Rocha SantosFitness coach Alex Ros CladellaTactical Analyst Aitor Calero GarciaTeam doctorReserve and youth teamsReserve (U-23) coach David Rivas MartínezU-21 coach Liu YujianU-21 assistant coach Zhou TingU-19 coach Sun WeiU-17 coach Zhang YaokunU-17 assistant coach Li WenboU-15 coach Zhao PengU-15 assistant coach Chi YaojunU-14 coach Li YangU-15 assistant coach Zou JieU-13 coach Wang Zhaochen
Transfers
Pre-season
In NameAgeMoving fromTypeTransfer feeDateNotes -FW Chen Rong22 Liaoning Shenyang UrbanLoan Return—1 January -MF Zhu Jiaxuan24 Liaoning Shenyang UrbanLoan Return—1 January -GK Li Xuebo23 Zibo CujuLoan Return—1 January
Out NameAgeMoving toTypeTransfer feeDateNotes11DF Sun Guowen29 Shandong TaishanReleased31 March16DF Tong Lei25 Shandong TaishanReleased31 March22DF Dong Yanfeng27 Chengdu RongchengFree5 April37FW Ning Hao38—End of contract1 January3DF Shan Pengfei29 Guangxi Pingguo HaliaoFree31 March21MF Gui Zihan19 Qingdao West CoastLoan4 April12MF Zhang Jiansheng23 Shanghai Jiading HuilongLoan6 April -MF Wan Yu20 Shijiazhuang GongfuFree6 April -GK Li Xuebo23 Dandong TengyueLoan6 April40MF Zhu Jiaxuan23 Heilongjiang Ice CityLoan6 April
Mid-season
Out NameAgeMoving toTypeTransfer feeDateNotes33MFSong Zhiwei34 Guangxi Pingguo HaliaoLoan1 July -GK Li Xuebo23 Liaoning Shenyang UrbanLoan12 July
Friendlies Preseason
Chinese Super League
Standings
Results summary
Positions by round
Fixtures and results
Chinese FA Cup
FA Cup fixtures and results
Squad statistics
Appearances and goals PlayerSuper LeagueFA CupTotalStartsGoalsStartsGoalsStartsGoals1GKZhang Chong6600006602DFLin Longchang17130330201603MFZhao Jia'nan2102204304DFVas Núñez21200210232105MFWu Wei15140000151406DFWang Xianjun16150210181607MFLin Liangming25225210272358DFZhu Ting22130320251509FWShan Huanhuan20000020010MFBorislav Tsonev272444213126511FWStreli Mamba262031112721413DFWang Yaopeng11901101210014DFHuang Jiahui191303202215015FWZhao Jianbo50031181116DFLiu Le11000011017FWLobi Manzoki211882202320818DFHe Yupeng211801002218019MFWang Zhen'ao221701102318020MFWang Tengda10022032022MFChen Rong21022043023FWShang Yin271203113013125FWFeng Zeyuan00000000026MFCui Ming'an20022042028MFFei Yu17703302010030GKWu Yan232300002323031MFLü Peng272502202927032GKKudirat Ablet11044055033MFSong Zhiwei10000010035MFWang Yu181303302116036GKWang Jinshuai00033033038MFLü Zhuoyi51033084039FWYan Xiangchuang251352012713640MFNemanja Bosančić179011018100TOTALS25530
Goalscorers RankPlayerGoals (Penalties)Super LeagueFA CupTotal1Manzoki8082Yan Xiangchuang5163Lin Liangming5054Tsonev4155Mamba3146Shang Yin011Zhao Jianbo011TOTALS25530
Disciplinary record PlayerSuper LeagueFA CupTotal1GKZhang Chong0000000002DFLin Longchang2000000003MFZhao Jia'nan0000000004DFVas Núñez3020003025MFWu Wei2000002006DFWang Xianjun3010003017MFLin Liangming2000002008DFZhu Ting3000003009FWShan Huanhuan00000000010MFBorislav Tsonev70000070011FWStreli Mamba21010031013DFWang Yaopeng20000020014DFHuang Jiahui10000010015FWZhao Jianbo00010010016DFLiu Le00000000017FWLobi Manzoki41000041018DFHe Yupeng40010050019MFWang Zhen'ao40000040020MFWang Tengda00000000022MFChen Rong00010000023FWShang Yin30010040025FWFeng Zeyuan00000000026MFCui Ming'an00000000028MFFei Yu20000020030GKWu Yan50000050031MFLü Peng20010030032GKKudirat Ablet00000000033MFSong Zhiwei00000000035MFWang Yu40010050038MFLü Zhuoyi00000000039FWYan Xiangchuang00000000040MFNemanja Bosančić300000300TOTALS58237006523
Injuries PlayerInjuryDurationNotesLin LiangmingLigament injuries to the knee9 Sep. –He YupengBroken rib
Suspensions
PlayerLengthReasonDate(s) servedOpponentWang Zhen'ao1 match4 Yellow Cards accumulated9 Jun.Beijing GuoanTsonev1 match4 Yellow Cards accumulated8 Jul.Shanghai PortVas Núñez1 matchRed Card vs. Shanghai Port12 Jul.Nantong ZhiyunWang Xianjun1 matchRed Card vs. Nantong Zhiyun16 Jul.Changchun YataiWang Yu1 match4 Yellow Cards accumulated22 Jul.Chengdu RongchengHe Yupeng1 match4 Yellow Cards accumulated5 Aug.Shanghai ShenhuaWu Yan1 match4 Yellow Cards accumulated9 Aug.Cangzhou Mighty LionsMamba1 matchRed Card vs. Cangzhou Mighty Lions13 Aug.ShenzhenManzoki1 matchRed Card vs. Shenzhen19 Aug.HenanVas Núñez1 matchRed Card vs. Tianjin JM Tiger23 Sep.Shandong TaishanManzoki1 match4 Yellow Cards accumulated23 Sep.Shandong Taishan
References