How can a Chinese Super League team be associated with "stability"? After all, it sounds incredible that Chinese Super League clubs can outperform many of their overseas rivals in terms of stability, given their perennial plight of unpaid wages and end-of-season disbandments. However, a recent survey released by the Swiss Football Observatory (CIES), a leading soccer authority, reveals this fact. In the report, Chinese Super League teams Seaport and Taishan were ranked in the top two in terms of stability of top league clubs in 48 countries and regions around the world.
The top 20 on the list are, in order, Shanghai Harbour, Shandong Taishan, Athletic Bilbao, Real Madrid, Gonzaga Sapporo, Kawasaki Vanguard, Sade, Duhail, Peninsula Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Bayern, Heidenheim, Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Liverpool, Athletic Madrid, and Slovaczko. Among them, Harbour players have an average season with the team of up to 5.39 seasons, Tarzan's figure is 5.03 seasons, while Athletic Bilbao is in third place with an average effect of five seasons. Real Madrid and Bayern have 4.83 and 4.3 seasons respectively, and Liverpool 4.04.
The stability of Asian teams is generally higher than that of other regions, mainly due to the lower likelihood of Asian clubs being poached by Europe, the lower number of player departures, and the lower number of players brought in, resulting in low mobility and high stability. In recent years, both Shanghai Port and Taishan have focused on developing former East Asian players produced by Genbao's youth training, especially those on the bench. This model has resulted in many players retiring without ever leaving the team.
The stability of Real Madrid and Bayern is also easy to understand. As the top teams in the world, they have stable rosters with players at the peak of their careers, and transfers occur mainly between teams of equal level, eliminating players who cannot play in the starting lineup. This stability has led to relatively few changes in personnel. However, the stability of the Chinese Super League teams is a cause for concern, which may indicate that our players are unable to develop on a higher stage.
The list also reveals that the Chinese Super League has reached the top 48 in the world. The reason why the national soccer team is ranked in the 70s and 80s in the world while the Chinese Super League is in the top 48 is because many of the world's top-ranked players play in their respective national leagues, which are not of a high standard. Players have been playing in European leagues, just as our AFC Champions League winners can beat African and North and Central American champions. Therefore, the Premier League's ranking in the top 48 in the world is well deserved.
