Xiamen Footballโข Reclaims its Professional Status After 18-year Hiatus
After โanโ 18-year absence, professional football hasโข returned to Xiamen, culminating in aโ 2-0 victory for xiamen 102 against Shanghai Saigenda โขJucheng on October 26th. This win secured their advancement to Chinese League Two forโ the 2026โ seasonโข and ignited fervent celebrations at the Xiamen Sports Center.
The โฃvictoryโข marks a important โฃresurgenceโข for a cityโฃ with a century-longโ football tradition. โxiamen experienced a peak in professional football at the turn of the millennium, โbut the Xiamen Football Team was disbanded in 2007, leavingโค a void in the โcity’s professional football landscape for nearly two decades.
Despite the absence of a professional team, grassroots โfootball continued to thrive in Xiamen. โThe city boasts approximately 200 football-specific schools, withโข over 130,000 primary andโค secondary school students regularly participating in football activities.โ Xiamen No. 2โ Middle School has consistently achieved nationalโ championship success, demonstrating a strongโ foundation of youth development. This sustained commitment at theโข grassroots level directly contributed toโฃ the success of Xiamen 102.
Theโค return to professional competition builds on recent high-profile โevents hostedโ in theโ city. In November of last year, Xiamen Bailuโ Stadium (also known as Egret Stadium) hosted a crucial Asian World Cup preliminary match between China โand Japan.โ Despite a 1-3 loss for the national team,the game marked theโค first time in five years Japan had conceded a goal to China,and theโฃ first time they’d been scoredโ against โin the top 18 of the Asian preliminaries. The stadium was nearlyโค full despite being a weekday fixture,showcasing the โฃpassionate โsupport of Xiamen fans.
Looking ahead, the focus is on building a lasting and vibrantโ football ecosystem within โขthe city. The article highlights the successโ of leaguesโค like the “Scottish Super League” as a โmodel for prioritizing enjoyment โขand community engagement. Xiamen,with its dedicated fanbase,established football infrastructure,and enduring spirit,is well-positioned โขto cultivate a unique “Xiamen Super League” surroundings.โ
The returnโข to theโ Chinese Professional League is viewedโ as a starting point,with the ultimate goal โคof integrating football deeply into the city’s culture,transforming the league into a community festival,a source ofโฃ civic pride,and โaโข platform for aspiring young โplayers.The future ambition is to reach a new “peak” โฃfor Xiamen football, โขfueled by the enduring passionโค of its supporters.
(Source: Morning News reporter Cai Yilin)
Published in: Beijing
