2003 Chinese Jia-A League

The 2003 Chinese Jia-A League season was the last season before it was rebranded as the Chinese Super League by the Chinese Football Association and had 15 teams, with one team provided a bye for each round. Three teams were relegated at the end of the season. However, relegation was based on an averaging system using the last seasons and this season's final position.

{{see also|2003–2009 Chinese football match-fixing scandals}}

At the end of the season, Shanghai Shenhua narrowly won the championship against their local neighbours Shanghai International. Critics would dispute the legitimacy of the title win after it was discovered in 2011 that the Shenhua General manager Lou Shifang bribed the head of the Chinese Football Association referee arrangements Zhang Jianqiang and referee Lu Jun 350,000 yuan each to be bias towards Shenhua in a vital match against Shanghai International in a game that Shenhua won 4–1.{{cite web |url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/2011-03/31/content_12300071.htm |title= Details of soccer referee investigation released to public|publisher=chinadaily.com.cn|date=2011-03-31|accessdate=December 19, 2012}} While all three men were officially charged with match-fixing, the club was spared any disciplinary action and were allowed to keep the title with the reason provided by the Chinese football association for the leniency being that they would be punishing the individuals who put the game in disrepute and not the club, because Lou Shifang was Shenhua's offending participant and had left the club several years before the allegations were confirmed it would have been harsh to punish the club retrospectively.{{cite web |url=http://sports.sina.com.cn/c/2012-01-31/12585924836.shtml|script-title=zh:足坛反赌涉案队或明年降级 足协：倾向取消当年成绩 |language=Chinese |publisher=sports.sina.com.cn|date=2012-01-31|accessdate=December 19, 2012}} On 18 February 2013, The CFA decided to change its mind on Shenhua and retrospectively decided to punish the club by revoking its 2003 league title, fining the club 1 million yuan and giving a 6-point deduction at the beginning of the 2013 Chinese Super League season after it was discovered that they also fixed another game against Shaanxi Guoli F.C. en route to winning the 2003 league title.{{Cite web|url=http://wildeastfootball.net/2013/02/breaking-news-shenhua-and-tianjin-face-6-point-deduction-xu-hong-barred-from-football-for-5-years/|title=Breaking News: Shenhua and Tianjin face 6 point deduction; Xu Hong barred from football for 5 years|publisher=wildeastfootball.net|date=18 February 2013 |accessdate=2013-02-20}}{{Cite web|url=http://english.cri.cn/8046/2013/02/18/189s748945.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130220235512/http://english.cri.cn/8046/2013/02/18/189s748945.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 20, 2013|title=China Strips Shenhua of 2003 League Title, Bans 33 People for Life|publisher=english.cri.cn|date=18 February 2013|accessdate=2013-03-18}} Shanghai International, however, were not retrospectively awarded the title after it was officially confirmed on June 13, 2012, that the Shanghai International players Shen Si, Qi Hong, Jiang Jin and Li Ming (1975) took a bribe from former Tianjin Teda F.C. general manager Yang Yifeng to lose their November 30, 2003 game, which saw all offending participants fined and jailed for their crimes as well as the Chinese FA deciding that Tianjin should also face a 1 million Yuan and 6-point deduction at the beginning of the 2013 Chinese Super League season.{{Cite web|url=http://www.shanghaidaily.com/nsp/Sports/2012/06/14/Matchfixing%2Bled%2Bto%2Bstars%2Bdownfall/ |title=Match-fixing led to stars' downfall|publisher=shanghaidaily.com |date=2012-06-14 |accessdate=2012-06-24}}

Also within the season Chongqing Lifan F.C. were relegated at the end of the campaign. However, they were allowed to remain within the division for next season when they bought Yunnan Hongta's registration and merged the two clubs together.{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/china04.html|title= China 2004

|date=7 Apr 2005|website=RSSSF|accessdate=December 19, 2012}} While at the end of the campaign saw the loss of August 1st football club who were relegated and decided to disband at the end of the season. The club who were the sport branch of the People's Liberation Army had been in existence for over fifty years and were one of the most successful clubs in Chinese history during the amateur era. However, because all the players had to be active military members and paid accordingly made it impossible for them to compete with the other clubs who were now also paying professional wages to their players, which also saw the club struggle within the professional era and lead to the clubs disbandment.{{cite web |url=http://english.people.com.cn/200312/29/eng20031229_131438.shtml|title=Chinese military football team disbanded|publisher=english.people.com.cn|date=December 29, 2003|accessdate=December 19, 2012}}

{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL

|res_col_header=PR

|sortable_table=y

|team1=SH|name_SH=Shanghai Shenhua

|team2=SI|name_SI=Shanghai International

|team3=DL|name_DL=Dalian Shide

|team4=SZ|name_SZ=Shenzhen Jianlibao

|team5=SY|name_SY=Shenyang Ginde

|team6=LN|name_LN=Liaoning Zhongshun

|team7=YN|name_YN=Yunnan Hongta

|team8=SC|name_SC=Sichuan Guancheng

|team9=BJ|name_BJ=Beijing Hyundai Cars

|team10=TJ|name_TJ=Tianjin Kangshifu

|team11=QD|name_QD=Qingdao Beilaite

|team12=SD|name_SD=Shandong Luneng

|team13=CQ|name_CQ=Chongqing Lifan

|team14=A1|name_A1=August 1st

|team15=SX|name_SX=Shaanxi Guoli

|note_SH=Shanghai Shenhua were stripped of the title on 19 February 2013 for the match-fixing scandal in this season.

|note_DL=Dalian Shide won entry to the 2004 AFC Champions League after winning the 2002 Chinese Jia-A League, but because the AFC Champions League rescheduled the tournament, they had their entry moved until 2004.

|note_CQ=Chongqing Lifan remained in the league for the following season after merging with Yunnan Hongta.

|win_SH=17|draw_SH=4|loss_SH=7|gf_SH=56|ga_SH=33

|win_SI=16|draw_SI=6|loss_SI=6|gf_SI=39|ga_SI=26

|win_DL=15|draw_DL=8|loss_DL=5|gf_DL=44|ga_DL=22

|win_SZ=12|draw_SZ=11|loss_SZ=5|gf_SZ=42|ga_SZ=21

|win_SY=11|draw_SY=10|loss_SY=7|gf_SY=35|ga_SY=31

|win_LN=11|draw_LN=8|loss_LN=9|gf_LN=39|ga_LN=34

|win_YN=11|draw_YN=7|loss_YN=10|gf_YN=30|ga_YN=27

|win_SC=9|draw_SC=10|loss_SC=9|gf_SC=41|ga_SC=42

|win_BJ=9|draw_BJ=9|loss_BJ=10|gf_BJ=34|ga_BJ=26

|win_TJ=8|draw_TJ=12|loss_TJ=8|gf_TJ=32|ga_TJ=33

|win_QD=10|draw_QD=5|loss_QD=13|gf_QD=40|ga_QD=50

|win_SD=8|draw_SD=9|loss_SD=11|gf_SD=42|ga_SD=46

|win_CQ=6|draw_CQ=8|loss_CQ=14|gf_CQ=21|ga_CQ=34

|win_A1=6|draw_A1=4|loss_A1=18|gf_A1=23|ga_A1=59

|win_SX=3|draw_SX=5|loss_SX=20|gf_SX=28|ga_SX=62

|col_C=green1|text_C=2004 AFC Champions League qualification

|result1=C|result3=C

|col_P=green3|text_P=2004 A3 Champions Cup qualification

|result2=P

|col_R=red1|text_R=Relegated to Jia League

|result13=R|result14=R|result15=R

|update=complete|source=[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/chinachamp.html rsssf.com]

}}

Chinese Super League qualification was based on the average positioning of the teams from the 2002 and 2003 league standings.

(Based on Positions in 2002 (x 0.5) and 2003 (x 1))

Player of the year (Golden Ball Award)

• Jörg Albertz (Shanghai Shenhua)

Top scorer (Golden Boot Award)

• Saul Martínez (Shanghai Shenhua)
• Li Yi (Shenzhen Jianlibao)
• Kwame Ayew (Changsha Ginde)

Manager of the year

• Wu Jingui (Shanghai Shenhua)

Youth player of the year

• Liu Jindong ( Shandong Luneng )

CFA Team of the Year

Goalkeeper: Jiang Jin (Shanghai International)

Defence: Xu Yunlong (Beijing Guoan), Du Wei (Dalian Wanda), Li Weifeng (Shenzhen Jianlibao), Adilson (Dalian Shide)

Midfield: Zheng Zhi (Shenzhen Jianlibao), Zhao Junzhe (Liaoning Zhongshun), Jörg Albertz (Shanghai Shenhua), Shen Si (Shanghai International)

Attack: Saul Martínez (Shanghai Shenhua), Li Yi (Shenzhen Jianlibao),

• 2003–2009 Chinese football match-fixing scandals
• Chinese Jia-A League
• Chinese Super League
• Chinese Football Association Jia League
• Chinese Football Association Yi League
• Chinese FA Cup
• Chinese Football Association
• Football in China
• List of football records in China
• Chinese clubs in the AFC Champions League

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/chinachamp.html China – List of final tables (RSSSF)]

{{Chinese Jia-A League seasons}}

Category:Chinese Jia-A League seasons

1

China

China

Category:2003 establishments in China