Li Ang of Jiangsu Suning Football Club heads for the ball with Mushekwi of Dalian Yifang Football Club during the 2019 Chinese Football Association Super League in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, May 5, 2019. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)
Answering Chinese football reform proposal to introduce neutral name to club, Dalian Yifang changes name to Dalian Professional Football Club, dropping the investor's title.
By Zhang Rongfeng
BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese football club Dalian Yifang club announced on Tuesday that the club completed registration with a new name Dalian Professional Football Club hoping to promote bonding with the people of Dalian city.
The new name is a move in line with the Chinese football reform plan in 2015, which encouraged clubs to gradually drop company names from the club name.
Adrian Mierzejewski of Chongqing Lifan shoots during a 6th round match of the Chinese Super League against Dalian Yifang in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, on April 21, 2019. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)
Usually Chinese football clubs follow the name of their investors. Now the Chinese football reform plan asked clubs to remove company names from club names in order to develop football.
Rafael Benitez, former Champions League-winning coach, took charge of the Dalian Professional Football Club or Dalian Pro in July, 2019.
Rafael Benitez, headcoach of Dalian Yifang Football Club reacts during the 2019 Chinese Football Association Super League in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 7, 2019. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) unveiled a series of policies in December 2019, demanding that the Chinese professional football club ought to develop a diverse shareholder structure and adopt neutral club name before 2021.
Wanda Group, an active stakeholder in Chinese football, has invested Dalian Yifang since 2019. Wanda launched its youth training program "Future Stars of Chinese Football" in 2011, and more than 200 players have trained in Spain under this program so far. ■
