Luoyang Olympic Sports Center expected to become Henan's new home stadium, to be completed in April 2022

Source: Big River News

□ Top News - Dahe Daily reporter Wang Wei Hao Wen Zhang Teng photography

On the evening of February 20, after two months of brewing, Henan Jianye Football Club's new name settled: "Henan Songshan Longmen Football Club" unveiled. As a 26-year old club that carries the memories of countless fans, the words "Henan Jianye" have officially become history. The newly established club is jointly funded by Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Jianye, and will implement a double home game rotation. In the future, the team's home half a year in Zhengzhou, half a year in Luoyang, or will become a new experience for fans to watch football.

Jianye name change with a twist, Songshan, Longmen become Henan's new business card of soccer

With the deepening of China's soccer reform and development, the neutralization name change of soccer clubs was put on the agenda at the end of 2020. According to the requirements of CFA, all clubs must complete the de-corporatization name change before the 2021 season, otherwise they cannot qualify for the competition. To this end, Jianye actively interacted with fans and launched a campaign to collect and vote for a new name.

However, on December 31, 2020, 7:00 pm, Jianye Club suddenly announced that it was going to change its name to "Luoyang Longmen Football Club". But because the new name is not in the 10 candidates voted by the fans, a time, Henan fans exploded. What the fans could not accept emotionally was that the new name was labeled as a prominent city, losing the word "Henan".

Given the strong resistance of the fans, Jianye has since responded urgently that it will take into account the views of the fans and make another change. In fact, to change the name again means to push back, in the coordination of the relevant departments at the provincial level, after many rounds of consultation, and finally formed by the Zhengzhou Municipal People's Government, Luoyang Municipal People's Government, Jianye Group tripartite program to build the club.

On the evening of February 20, Jianye's new name was unveiled - Longmen, Mt. Henan. That night, Jianye released the news in the form of an announcement. The name has now been approved by the People's Government of Henan Province and the Chinese Football Association.

Henan Jianye Football Club, chairman of the board of directors, said on behalf of Jiling, Henan Songshan Longmen, the new name is fully listened to the views of the majority of fans to "Henan" as the new name to lead, "Songshan", "Longmen "are the world cultural heritage, is Zhengzhou city and Luoyang city's cultural card, but also the image of the Central Plains culture landmark. "Henan Songshan Longmen Football Club helps the emotional heritage and support of Henan fans, and is conducive to the dissemination of the Yellow River culture and carry forward the humanistic spirit of the Central Plains."

Why did the investors add Zhengzhou and Luoyang?

Jianye club said, Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Jianye three parties to build a soccer club, is the practice of "China's soccer reform and development of the overall program" and the relevant requirements of the CFA useful exploration, for the realization of the optimization of the shareholding structure of the soccer club, the realization of the government, enterprises, individuals diversified investment, and improve the club's legal person governance structure has a positive significance.

Dai Jiling told reporters that Zhengzhou City and Luoyang City are two important cities in the economic and cultural map of Henan Province, both have a good soccer tradition. It is the Henan Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government "main vice lead, double circle drive" development concept in the soccer cultural cause of the concrete embodiment, looking forward to soccer as the leading sports industry for the two cities to inject more vitality.

Over the past 26 years, Jianye has invested as much as 5 billion yuan in the soccer business. Hu Baosen has done from the business point of view, in the Jianye provincialization strategy, enterprise development for the dependence of soccer is not high, and the reason why still adhere to, from the "soccer for the people" sense of responsibility and sentiment. However, this sentiment, but also really let Jianye bear a lot of pressure.

"The government's participation can play a supporting role, and with government support as a solid foundation, it can allow more enterprises, including Jianye and also other enterprises, to invest in the development of Henan soccer. This is more conducive to the long-term development of soccer culture and soccer business, so that it is more likely to build a century-old club." Dai Jiling said.

According to the policy of the Chinese Football Association's new season, the annual investment of the Chinese Super League club shall not exceed 600 million yuan. According to the new club Zhengzhou Municipal Government platform company, Luoyang Municipal Government platform company, Jianye, 4:3:3 equity ratio, as well as the principle of sharing rights and obligations, the three parties to share the investment, Jianye's pressure can be greatly reduced. As for the future operation, the two governments fully trust and respect Jianye years of soccer management experience, the next, Jianye will still play an important role in the specific operation of the club.

How is the "double home" rotation implemented?

Henan Songshan Longmen Club came into being at the same time, put forward in the future to implement the double home field rotation plan. Throughout the world soccer world, it is rare for teams to have double home games. How to arrange the matches between the two home games? It is the most concerned question of the fans.

There was a precedent for double home stadiums in Chinese soccer. In the 2004 season, Tianjin TEDA's new stadium was completed, but considering the distance of the new stadium from the city, a double home stadium system was adopted in the league. TEDA has also been rotating home games between Minyuan Stadium and TEDA Stadium, and only from the 2006 season will the home stadium be officially determined as TEDA Stadium.

However, according to the 2019 season's Chinese Football Association Super League Regulations, while clubs can declare one home ground for matches as well as an alternate venue in the same season, "in the same season, unless the environment in which they are located is beyond their control, clubs must always use the same stadium as their home ground for matches, and if they change their home ground, they must apply to the organizer 21 days in advance to application."

That is to say, the future of Jianye in the double home rotation, a put Zhengzhou a put Luoyang is impossible to realize, the only feasible is to submit a report to the Football Association in the inter-season break to replace the home field. "At present, the 2021 season of the Chinese Super League is scheduled to start in early April with a tournament system, whether this year will resume home and away matches is still unknown. The initial consideration for the future is to follow the first half of the season and the second half of the season, the home matches will be held in Zhengzhou and Luoyang respectively, but the specific how to arrange, will be combined with the actual situation to develop a program." A person in charge of the club said.

Where will Jianye's home stadium in Luoyang be placed? Currently, Luoyang City Sports Center has a sizable stadium. In addition, in order to welcome the events of the 14th Henan Provincial Games in 2022, the opening and closing ceremonies and other activities, Luoyang, as the host, is constructing an Olympic Sports Center, which includes a stadium with 50,000 fixed seats to meet the needs of hosting national and international competitions. According to the plan, the Luoyang Olympic Sports Center will be completed and accepted by the end of April 2022. In the future, the stadium is expected to become the home of Henan Songshan Dragons in Luoyang.

How do Super League teams change their names?

The new season of the Chinese Super League will be played in early April, the current 16 Chinese Super League teams have 14 completed neutral name change, most of them directly take the province or city to name. Such as Jiangsu Suning, Guangzhou Evergrande, Guangzhou R&F, Shenzhen Jiazhaoye, Hebei Huaxia Happiness, Wuhan Zhuoer, Qingdao Yellow Sea, respectively, changed to Jiangsu, Guangzhou, Guangzhou City, Shenzhen, Hebei, Wuhan, Qingdao.

Tianjin Teda changed its name to "Tianjin Jinmen Tiger", reflecting the regional characteristics and cultural connotations, which was well received by the fans. Shanghai SIPG changed its name to "Shanghai Harbor". As the investor and the club disassociated, the only teams whose names have been inherited are Shanghai Shenhua, Shandong Taishan and Changchun Yatai.

As of now, only Beijing Guoan and Chongqing Contemporary have yet to finalize their new names.