Even before a ball was kicked at Tianhe Sports Center in Guangzhou on Tuesday, the Chinese Super League's new era of frugality was obvious for all to see.

Gone was the usual lavish opening ceremony for the new season, to be replaced by a much shorter and modest affair, suggesting the Chinese Football Association is serious about delivering on its promise of a more sustainable future for the domestic game.

A lack of expensive foreign players in the starting XIs for Tuesday's match between Guangzhou FC and Guangzhou City, however, was the clearest indication that the CSL's big-spending days are over.

Guangzhou in Guangdong province, and Suzhou in Jiangsu province are the host cities for the 14-round first phase－minus 2020 champion Jiangsu FC following the club's financial demise earlier this year. The CSL will hope the introduction of tighter spending rules will avoid a repeat of that scenario for any of its current 16 teams.

Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic's match against Shandong Taishan got the action underway at Guangzhou University Town Stadium, however the main focus of the opening day was at Tianhe Sports Center, where around 30,000 fans watched the Guangzhou derby.

Despite all the difficulties and controversies the CSL is facing, the fans' enthusiasm for the league has not waned on the evidence of the deafening roars from the Tianhe stands.

As part of COVID-19 protocols, spectators were required to scan their health codes to gain entry to the stadium.

Due to the pandemic, the CSL postponed the start of the 2020 season before eventually adopting a tournament-style format in a shortened campaign.

To stop the spread of the coronavirus, most matches were played behind closed doors last year. Now, thanks to China's successful control of the pandemic, the CSL plans to play 30 rounds of games in the 2021 season, and gradually open more matches to spectators as the campaign progresses.

Four matches are open to spectators in the first round, with the league hoping cheap ticket prices－ranging from 50-240 yuan ($8-$37)－will help entice spectators back to the stands.

Still, the CSL has vowed not to let its COVID-19 guard down and will continue to implement strict epidemic prevention measures, including frequent nucleic acid tests and encouraging players to be vaccinated.

According to Guangzhou Daily, the CFA has assigned 400 staff to deal with epidemic prevention measures and logistical issues.

Harsh winter

With the pandemic exacerbating the problems of financially stricken clubs, this winter's offseason proved to be too chilly for some, with Jiangsu FC the most shocking casualty of the league's new economic reality. In February, the club－formerly known as Jiangsu Suning－announced it was ceasing operations due to money woes just a few months after winning its maiden CSL title.

Tianjin Jinmen Tiger appeared to be headed for a similar crash amid mounting unpaid player wages. However, after reportedly being bailed out by its local sports bureau, Tianjin ultimately made it onto the 2021 schedule－although it remains unclear whether it can survive beyond this campaign.

An over-reliance on outside investment, coupled with lavish transfer spending, has been blamed for clubs' woes. Jiangsu, for example, found itself in deep water after Suning's profits slid and the retail giant decided that funding a soccer team was a luxury it could not afford.

The pandemic made matters worse, with clubs losing revenue from ticket sales and merchandise, with games mostly played behind closed doors.

Curbing clubs' spending－especially on big-name imports－has, therefore, become a priority for the CFA, with strict new transfer and salary caps now in place through the 2023 campaign.

The new limits have inevitably led to an exodus of heavily salaried foreign players, including Brazilian star Hulk and Slovakian playmaker Marek Hamsik.

However, the CFA is adamant such short-term losses are necessary to ensure a brighter future for the domestic game.

"Many investors have said it's unsustainable to keep operating like before. If we don't take action, we could face the wider financial collapse of Chinese soccer," CFA president Chen Xuyuan told CCTV last month.

"That is unacceptable. We need to continue with the salary cap and spending restrictions on clubs. That's a joint decision of the CFA and investors. The spending of a CSL club is three times higher than a Japanese top-tier club, and in some cases the salaries of our players can be 10 times higher than theirs."

Title contenders

On the pitch, last season's runner-up Guangzhou FC is most observers' favorite to lift the trophy. Fabio Cannavaro's men, however, can expect stiff competition from Shanghai Port, Beijing Guo'an and Shandong Taishan. Shanghai Shenhua, whose six offseason signings include Team China captain Wu Xi, is also boldly predicting it can mount a title challenge this term.

After its 2-1 defeat to Jiangsu FC in last year's final, Guangzhou FC returns with extra motivation to claim its ninth CSL crown. The team, however, starts the campaign without talismanic midfielder Paulinho and forward Talisca, who both remain stranded in their native Brazil due to pandemic-related travel restrictions.

"Theoretically speaking, it's even harder to win this season. Actually since I joined the team, not a single year has been easy," said Guangzhou FC head coach Cannavaro. "Now we constantly have new plans. But as the head coach, I have to face all these challenges."

Guo'an and Shanghai Port have turned to two Croatian coaches－Slaven Bilic and Ivan Leko respectively－in a bid to revive their fortunes.

Guo'an last lifted the league title back in 2009, and Bilic told BTV the challenge of restoring the capital club to former glories was a major reason for taking the job.

The former West Ham United boss added that he hoped to push the team, which finished third last term, out its comfort zone.

"The aim is clear, and that is to win. But it's hard to achieve that. Playing well is not enough," said Bilic. "There are many other factors that we need to go in our favor－such as having fewer injuries and better luck."

Shanghai Port boss Leko was also in confident mood ahead of the new season.

"I'm satisfied with the players' performance in training sessions and warm-up matches," Leko said. "I'm also glad to have the support of the team. We've been preparing for the new season for three months and now it's starting. The fans will soon see our performance on the pitch."

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