Inter Milan doubt as Suning call time on Chinese champions Jiangsu FC
- CSL winners ‘cease operations from today’ just three months after winning first league title
- Future of Inter Milan in question after owners announced that they will move away from non-retail businesses
Chinese Super League champions Jiangsu FC have ceased operations, owners Suning announced on Sunday, with the news sure to be a source of great embarrassment to China’s football authorities.
The club, which the retail giant bought in 2015, will also cease operation of its women’s team who won the 2019 Chinese Women’s Super League, and youth teams. Reports from China had suggested that the club’s demise was imminent.
Owners Suning had put the CSL team up for sale for a single cent, though any owner would have to take on the debt, while reports in Chinese media said they hoped for the local government to bail the champions out.
Suning are still looking for new owners for the team that was crowned champions in November last year, the statement said
Another CSL team will have to take their place in the AFC Champions League. Fellow CSL side Shandong Luneng had already been disqulafied for the coming campaign by the AFC meaning only two of China’s original four qualifiers will take part.
Jiangsu FC – formerly Jiangsu Suning until the Chinese FA introduced a new rule on corporate naming this year – was but a small part of the company’s football interests.
The deals for the English Premier League and Serie A have since been disputed, with a fight over the EPL going to the UK courts.
Italian media has reported that Suning may be forced to give up the club.
