Jiangsu Football Club (), later known as Jiangsu Sainty F.C. (2000–2016) and Jiangsu Suning F.C. (2016–2021), was a professional football club that participated in the
Chinese Super League
The Chinese Football Association Super League, commonly known as Chinese Super League or CSL, currently known as the China Ping An Chinese Football Association Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest tier of professional association ...
since 2009 until its dissolution in 2021. The team was based in
Nanjing
Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...
,
Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its ca ...
, and their home stadium was the
Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre
The Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre Stadium () is used mostly for football as well as for other sport of athletics. It is located in Hexi New Town, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China, and covers an area of 89.6 hectares, with a total construction area of about ...
. The club's last owner was
Suning Appliance Group
Suning Appliance Group Co., Ltd. () is a Chinese holding company that is the third largest shareholder of Suning Appliance (also known as Suning Domestic Appliance in 1996, Suning Appliance Chain Store (Group) in 2001, Suning Commerce Group from ...
, a sister company of
Suning.com
Suning.com Co., Ltd. formerly Suning Commerce Group Co., Ltd. is one of the largest non-government retailers in China, headquartered in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. Suning has more than 10,000 stores nationwide and its e-commerce platform, ''Suni ...
.
The team was founded in 1958 as Jiangsu Provincial Team. The modern professional football club was established in March 1994, and was one of the founding members of the first fully professional top-tier league in China participating in the
1994 Chinese Jia-A League
The 1994 Chinese Jia-A League season is the inaugural season of professional association football and the 33rd top-tier overall league season held in China. The league was expanded to twelve teams and started on April 17, 1994 and ended on Novemb ...
season. It faced relegation in that campaign; however, the team went on to win promotion back into the top tier at the end of the 2008 league season and achieved their best ever league position when they finished as champions in the 2020 Chinese Super League. Three months after this top-tier league win, the club was dissolved.
History
The club was founded in April 1958 as Jiangsu Provincial Team by the local government and took part in the 1959
Chinese National Games
The National Games of the People's Republic of China (), sometimes known as the All China Games (though not to be confused with the All-China Games), is the premier sports event in China at national level. It is usually held once every four yea ...
where they placed twelfth. They joined the top tier of the gradually expanding Chinese football league system in 1960; finishing nineteenth out of twenty-five teams. By 1963, the league had expanded to thirty-nine teams and the
Chinese Football Association
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) is the governing body for association football, beach soccer and futsal in People's Republic of China (Mainland China). The CFA organizes the men's and women's national teams and administers the country ...
decided they needed to reduce the number of participants in the league to twenty for the following season. Jiangsu finished seventh within their group stages, which relegated them from the league system. In 1964, they did not take part in any of the divisions but returned to play in the second tier in 1965 where they came seventh in the group stages.
The
Chinese Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...
halted the league for several seasons. When it returned in 1973, Jiangsu was placed back into the top tier where they finished the league in eleventh. Jiangsu's time in the top tier did not last very long, and at the end of the 1978 season they were relegated to the second division. For the next several years, Jiangsu remained a second-tier club apart from a one-season top-tier stint in 1988. However, in 1992 it won the second tier title which guaranteed the club promotion to the country's first fully professional first-tier league in 1994, the
Chinese Jia-A League
The National Football Jia A League ( simplified Chinese, commonly known as Jia-A, was the highest tier of professional football in the People's Republic of China, during 1994 through 2003, operating under the auspices of the Chinese Football Asso ...
, irrespective of where it finished in the 1993 season.
In March 1994, the club gained sponsorship and changed its name to Jiangsu Maint to comply with the requirements to take part in the 1994 Chinese Jia-A League season. it struggled with professionalism on and off the field, and was relegated at the end of the season. The stricter operational costs of the league resulted in the club struggling financially, which was exacerbated by also losing its sponsorship. Over time, the club gained some financial support from several major Chinese businesses including Jiangsu TV, Jinling Petrochemical Company, several Jiangsu tobacco companies in addition to some international investment companies. The club changed its name to Jiangsu Jiajia as a result of sponsorship; however, its improved financial stability did not prevent relegation to the third tier at the end of the 1996 season. The club spent only one season in the third division before gaining promotion by winning the 1997 title.
On 7 January 2000, the manufacturing company Jiangsu Sainty International Group took over the club and changed the club's name to Jiangsu Sainty. The new owners did not get off to the best of starts when it was discovered they were unable to prevent some of their players and coaches from taking bribes; maleficence was shown to have taken place in the 6 October game of the 2001 season in a 4–2 loss to
Chengdu Wuniu
Chengdu Tiancheng F.C. () was a Chinese professional football club based in Chengdu, China who last played in the 26,000 seater Shuangliu Sports Center in the China League One division. The club was founded on 26 February 1996 and was formerly kn ...
. The offending participants were banned for a year while the club had three months to reform and re-apply for a
Chinese Football Association
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) is the governing body for association football, beach soccer and futsal in People's Republic of China (Mainland China). The CFA organizes the men's and women's national teams and administers the country ...
playing license. After promising to clean up the club, the team lingered in the second tier for several years until they brought in
Pei Encai
Pei Encai (; born 1 December 1953) is a Chinese football manager and a former player.
Playing career
Pei Encai would spend his youth within the Chinese military where he rose to be a Colonel. While in the army he would show to be promising mid ...
to manage the team, which resulted in a division title and promotion at the end of the 2008 season.
The introduction of Serbian manager
Dragan Okuka
Dragomir "Dragan" Okuka (; born 2 April 1954) is a Serbian football coach and former player.
As a player, he was predominantly associated with his time with Velež Mostar where he won the 1981 Yugoslav Cup before joining Swedish club Örebro SK, ...
during the 2011 league season saw a significant improvement in league table finishes; a fourth-place finish at the end of the campaign and a runners-up position in the 2012 season. Off the field, the Jiangsu Sainty International Group was merged into Guoxin Group in 2011 to form Jiangsu Guoxin Investment Group Limited; this saw the Guoxin Group become the owner of the club. The club's name remained as Jiangsu Sainty F.C. until January 2014, when this changed to Jiangsu Guoxin-Sainty F.C.
On the field under Dragan Okuka the team had a difficult 2013 league season and were almost relegated, leading to the club deciding not to renew his contract. By the 2015 league season Romanian manager
Dan Petrescu
Daniel Vasile Petrescu (; born 22 December 1967) is a Romanian football manager and former player, who is currently in charge of Liga I club CFR Cluj.
As a player, Petrescu was deployed as a full-back or a winger and represented Premier Leag ...
was brought into Jiangsu and in 2015 the team won the
Chinese FA Cup
The Chinese FA Cup (, abbreviated as CFA Cup) is the national knockout cup competition in China organized by the Chinese Football Association. Its current holders are Shandong Taishan, having beaten Shanghai Port in 2021 for a record seventh tit ...
for the first time and qualified for the
2016 AFC Champions League
The 2016 AFC Champions League was the 35th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 14th under the current AFC Champions League title.
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors defeated Al-Ain ...
. On 21 December 2015 the club was purchased by
Suning Appliance Group
Suning Appliance Group Co., Ltd. () is a Chinese holding company that is the third largest shareholder of Suning Appliance (also known as Suning Domestic Appliance in 1996, Suning Appliance Chain Store (Group) in 2001, Suning Commerce Group from ...
for ¥523 million; its name was changed to Jiangsu Suning F.C.
According to ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'', Jiangsu was the fourth-wealthiest football team in China, with a team value of $144 million, and an estimated revenue of $36 million in 2015.
In January 2016, Jiangsu Suning broke its transfer fee record twice in the same window, with a fee of £25 million paid for Ramires from
Chelsea FC
Chelsea Football Club is an English professional football club based in Fulham, West London. Founded in 1905, they play their home games at Stamford Bridge. The club competes in the Premier League, the top division of English football. Th ...
, and later fellow Brazilian
Alex Teixeira
Alex Teixeira Santos (; born 6 January 1990) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Vasco da Gama.
Teixeira began his career with Vasco da Gama, making his debut for the senior team at the age of 18, before moving ...
for a fee of €50 million (£37 million) from
Shakhtar Donetsk
Football Club Shakhtar Donetsk ( uk, Футбольний клуб «Шахтар» Донецьк , short nickname "miners") is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. In 2014, due to the War in Donbass, the club was f ...
. The club went on to have one successful season, finishing second in the 2016 Chinese Super League and the
2016 Chinese FA Cup
Yanjing Beer 2016 Chinese FA Cup ( Chinese: 燕京啤酒2016中国足球协会杯) was the 18th edition of the Chinese FA Cup and the 60th anniversary of the Chinese National Cup. Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao beat the defending champions Jiangsu S ...
. It was the club's second straight appearance in the Finals of the
Chinese FA Cup
The Chinese FA Cup (, abbreviated as CFA Cup) is the national knockout cup competition in China organized by the Chinese Football Association. Its current holders are Shandong Taishan, having beaten Shanghai Port in 2021 for a record seventh tit ...
. In 2017 the team reached the knockout stages of the
2017 AFC Champions League
The 2017 AFC Champions League was the 36th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 15th under the current AFC Champions League title.
Urawa Red Diamonds defeated Al-Hilal ...
for the first time in their history. However, they missed the Champions League for the next two years, 2018 and 2019, due to struggles in domestic competitions.
On 12 November 2020, Jiangsu Suning were crowned champions of the
Chinese Super League
The Chinese Football Association Super League, commonly known as Chinese Super League or CSL, currently known as the China Ping An Chinese Football Association Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest tier of professional association ...
for the first time in club history with a 2–1 aggregate victory over
Guangzhou Evergrande
Guangzhou Football Club, formerly known as Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao Football Club, is a professional Chinese football club that participates in the Chinese Super League under the license of the Chinese Football Association. The team is based ...
in the
finals
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
Alex Teixeira
Alex Teixeira Santos (; born 6 January 1990) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Vasco da Gama.
Teixeira began his career with Vasco da Gama, making his debut for the senior team at the age of 18, before moving ...
secured the title.
On 1 February 2021, Jiangsu Suning changed their name to Jiangsu F.C. to meet a "neutral name" requirement by the
Chinese Football Association
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) is the governing body for association football, beach soccer and futsal in People's Republic of China (Mainland China). The CFA organizes the men's and women's national teams and administers the country ...
.
On 28 February 2021, the parent company Suning Holdings Group announced that operations were going to cease immediately alongside the women and youth teams due to financial difficulties.
Naming history
* 1958: Jiangsu Province Football Team (江苏省男子足球队)
* 1994: Jiangsu Maint Football Club (江苏迈特足球俱乐部)
* 1995: Jiangsu Football Club (江苏足球队)
* 1996: Jiangsu Gige Football Club (江苏金陵石化加佳足球俱乐部 (江苏加佳))
* 2000: Jiangsu Sainty Football Club (江苏舜天足球俱乐部)
* 2014: Jiangsu Guoxin-Sainty Football Club (江苏国信舜天足球俱乐部)
* 2016: Jiangsu Suning Football Club (江苏苏宁足球俱乐部)
* 2021: Jiangsu Football Club (江苏足球俱乐部)
Rivalries
The club had rivalries with neighbouring
Zhejiang
Zhejiang ( or , ; , Chinese postal romanization, also romanized as Chekiang) is an East China, eastern, coastal Provinces of China, province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable citie ...
province’s
Zhejiang Energy Greentown F.C.
Zhejiang Professional Football Club (), commonly referred to as Zhejiang FC or simply Zhejiang, is a professional Chinese football (soccer), football club that currently participates in the Chinese Super League under license from the Chinese Footb ...
from Hangzhou as well as Shanghai based clubs
Shanghai Greenland Shenhua
Shanghai Shenhua F.C. () is a Chinese professional football club that participates in the Chinese Super League under license from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The term ''shen hua'' literally translates as "the Flower of Shanghai" in ...
and
Shanghai SIPG
Shanghai Port FC (), previously named Shanghai SIPG, is a professional football club that participates in the Chinese Super League under licence from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The team is based in Pudong, Shanghai, and their home sta ...
where they contest the Yangtze Delta Derby. The rivalry with Shanghai Greenland Shenhua was the oldest and fiercest and can be dated as far back as the 1960 league championship. When Jiangsu were relegated to the second tier in 1978, it put a halt to the rivalry between the two clubs. The rivalry was not properly reignited until 2009 when both teams were simultaneously back in the top flight and the hostilities resumed. A direct fight for silverware between these two teams finally emerged when they competed in the
2015 Chinese FA Cup
Yanjing Beer 2015 Chinese FA Cup () was the 17th edition of Chinese FA Cup.
Schedule
Qualifying rounds Group A
Group B
;Tiebreakers
*Guangzhou Haoxin, Dalianwan Qianguan and Dalian Ruiheng are ranked on head-to-head record.
...
final, which saw Jiangsu won 1–0 to claim their first Cup win.
The Nanjing derby was a local inner city derby against
Nanjing Yoyo F.C.
Nanjing Yoyo Football Club () was a Chinese football club which played in the China Jia League from 2003 to 2010. Founded in 2002 as the Liaoning Xingguang F.C., it was based on the youth team of Liaoning FC. In 2003, they were bought by SVT Gro ...
that started when Nanjing Yoyo moved into the same city as Jiangsu and into their former home ground of Wutaishan Stadium. Their first meeting occurred in Nanjing Yoyo's home ground on 19 July 2003 in a second-tier league game, which ended in a 1–1 draw. For six seasons the two teams fought to be the dominant club within Nanjing City with Jiangsu predominately the stronger side with four wins, seven draws and only one defeat. When Jiangsu won promotion to the top tier at the end of the 2008 league season, it put a halt to the derby. Nanjing Yoyo were subsequently dissolved in May, 2011 due to financial difficulties.
Managerial history
Managers who have coached the club and team since Jiangsu Sainty became a professional club back in 1994.
* Liu Pingyu (1994–95)
* Wei Ritun (1996)
* Hu Zhigang (1997)
* Yang Yumin (1998–99)
* Gu Mingchang (2000)
* Željko Banjac (2000)
*
Leonid Koltun
Leonid Koltun ( uk, Леонід Колтун; born September 7, 1944) is a retired Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1 ...
(2000–01)
*
Boško Antić
Božidar "Boško" Antić ( sr-Cyrl, Божидар Бошко Антић, ; 7 January 1944 – 4 December 2007) was a Yugoslav and Serbian professional football manager and former player.
Playing career
Being drafted into the youth setup of Sa ...
(2001)
* Liu Pingyu (2002)
*
Leonid Koltun
Leonid Koltun ( uk, Леонід Колтун; born September 7, 1944) is a retired Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1 ...
(2002–03)
*
Chi Shangbin
Chi Shangbin (; 19 September 1949 – 6 March 2021) was a Chinese football player and coach.
As player, he spent his whole career playing for Liaoning, and also represented China at international level. As manager, he was best known for his re ...
(1 Feb 2004 – 13 Jul 2004)
*
Leonid Koltun
Leonid Koltun ( uk, Леонід Колтун; born September 7, 1944) is a retired Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1 ...
(2004)
* Wang Baoshan (2005)
* Ma Lin (2006)
* Li Hongbin (2006)
* Branko Vojinović (2007)
*
Pei Encai
Pei Encai (; born 1 December 1953) is a Chinese football manager and a former player.
Playing career
Pei Encai would spend his youth within the Chinese military where he rose to be a Colonel. While in the army he would show to be promising mid ...
(21 Dec 2007 – 31 Dec 2010)
*
Ján Kocian
Ján Kocian (born 13 March 1958) is a Slovak football coach and former player who last managed ViOn Zlaté Moravce in Fortuna Liga and also held managerial positions across central Europe and Asia.
Playing career
During his playing days, he m ...
(1 Jan 2011 – 5 May 2011)
*
Dragan Okuka
Dragomir "Dragan" Okuka (; born 2 April 1954) is a Serbian football coach and former player.
As a player, he was predominantly associated with his time with Velež Mostar where he won the 1981 Yugoslav Cup before joining Swedish club Örebro SK, ...
(10 May 2011 – 5 Nov 2013)
*
Gao Hongbo
Gao Hongbo (; born January 25, 1966 in Beijing) is a retired Chinese football striker and head coach of China League One side Beijing Enterprises. He previously managed the China national football team from 2009 to 2011, and in 2016. Appoint ...
(8 Nov 2013 – 29 Jun 2015)
*
Dan Petrescu
Daniel Vasile Petrescu (; born 22 December 1967) is a Romanian football manager and former player, who is currently in charge of Liga I club CFR Cluj.
As a player, Petrescu was deployed as a full-back or a winger and represented Premier Leag ...
(12 Jul 2015 – 3 Jun 2016)
*
Tang Jing Tang Jing may refer to:
* Tang Ching
Tang Ching or Tang Jing (; 1 January 1924 - 2019) was a Chinese film actor and businessman from Zhengzhou, Henan, working in the Cinema of Taiwan and the Cinema of Hong Kong. He starred in at least 70 films ...
(3 Jun 2016 – 30 Jun 2016) ''(caretaker)''
* Choi Yong-soo (1 Jul 2016 – 2 Jun 2017)
*
Li Jinyu
Li Jinyu (; born 6 July 1977) is a former international player who is currently the head coach of Wuhan.
As a player he represented Liaoning Whowin and Shandong Luneng in the Chinese Super League and spent one season on loan at French club ...
(2 Jun 2017 – 11 Jun 2017) ''(caretaker)''
* Fabio Capello (11 Jun 2017 – 28 Mar 2018)
*
Cosmin Olăroiu
Cosmin Aurelian Olăroiu (born 10 June 1969) is a Romanian professional football manager and former footballer in charge of UAE Pro League Sharjah FC.
As a manager, he guided Steaua Bucharest to the Romanian League title and Romanian Supercup ...
(28 Mar 2018 – 28 Feb 2021)
Honours
This list contains both honors received as a professional team and as a semi-professional team.
League
Chinese Super League
The Chinese Football Association Super League, commonly known as Chinese Super League or CSL, currently known as the China Ping An Chinese Football Association Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest tier of professional association ...
* Champions:
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
Chinese Jia B League/
Chinese League One
The Chinese Football Association China League (), also known as China League One or Chinese Jia League (中甲联赛), is the second level of professional football in China. Above League One is the Chinese Super League.
Prior to the formation of ...
(Second tier)
* Winners: 1992,
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
Chinese FA Cup
The Chinese FA Cup (, abbreviated as CFA Cup) is the national knockout cup competition in China organized by the Chinese Football Association. Its current holders are Shandong Taishan, having beaten Shanghai Port in 2021 for a record seventh tit ...
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
,
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
Chinese FA Super Cup
The Chinese FA Super Cup (), formerly named Chinese Football Super Cup (), is a pre-season football competition held before the season begins in China. It is a Chinese football championship contested by the winners of top division of Profession ...
* Winners:
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
* ''Runners-up:''
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
,
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
Results
All-time league rankings
''As of the end of 2019 season.''
* No league games in 1959, 1966–1972, and 1975; Jiangsu did not compete in 1964 and 1985
* In final group stage.
* In group stage.
* Promoted to the 1994 first tier.
* Several home matches played in Zhenjiang Sports and Exhibition Center as
2013 Asian Youth Games )
, Nations participating = 45
, Athletes participating = 2404
, Officially opened by = Liu Yandong
, Events = 122 in 16 sports
, Opening ceremony = August 16
, Closing ceremony = August 24
, Stadium ...
and
2014 Summer Youth Olympics
The 2014 Summer Youth Olympics (), officially known as the II Summer Youth Olympic Games , and commonly known as Nanjing 2014 ( zh, c=南京2014, p=Nánjīng Èr Líng yī sì), were the second Youth Olympic Games, Summer Youth Olympic Games, an ...
were held in Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre.
* Includes playoffs.
* The 2020 Chinese Super League was held behind closed doors most of the time, attendance and stadium not applicable.
Key
* Pld = Played
* W = Games won
* D = Games drawn
* L = Games lost
* F = Goals for
* A = Goals against
* Pts = Points
* Pos = Final position
* DNQ = Did not qualify
* DNE = Did not enter
* NH = Not Held
* – = Does Not Exist
* R1 = Round 1
* R2 = Round 2
* R3 = Round 3
* R4 = Round 4
* F = Final
* SF = Semi-finals
* QF = Quarter-finals
* R16 = Round of 16
* Group = Group stage
* GS2 = Second Group stage
* QR1 = First Qualifying Round
* QR2 = Second Qualifying Round
* QR3 = Third Qualifying Round