On November 3, the 23rd round of the Chinese Super League (CSL) was in full swing, and Hebei suffered a 0-6 defeat at Chengdu Rongcheng, the longest losing streak in the history of the CSL. On the eve of the match, Hebei players pulled up banners to present their pending salary demands to the club.
It is worth mentioning that due to the unfortunate injury of the main goalkeeper Bao Yaxiong in the last round of the league, the young defender Liu Runnan had to be appointed as the guest goalkeeper. The two replacement goalkeepers failed to arrive in time for the match due to quarantine measures, and Hebei had to send only 18-year-old Wang Niancheng to guard the goal.
During the pre-match group photo, Hebei players suddenly unfurled a banner prepared in advance, which read, "Please ask China Happiness to repay Chinese players' hard-earned money!" This is not the first time that Hebei players have publicly voiced their demand for salary. As early as October 26, they released an open letter to the club through social media, exposing the fact that the club has long been in arrears with players' wages. The letter mentioned that Hebei had not paid their salaries on time for three years, while the coaches, foreign aiders and staff were able to pay their salaries on time. In the following match, facing a strong Chengdu Rongcheng, Hebei lost 0-6.
After the game, acting team leader Chen Jieqiong simply said at the press conference, "Thank you for the players' efforts ......" The conference ended hastily because no one asked questions. For Hebei, the loss brings the team's losing streak to 16 games this season, setting a new record for the longest losing streak in Chinese Super League history. Although they had defeated Wuhan Changjiang by a score of 2-1 this season, their overall performance was still unsatisfactory. (By Pei Li, Sohu Sports)
