Securing a top-three finish and striving for first place! Despite the point deduction, Shandong Taishan's season objectives remain unchanged.

Reporter Chen Yong reports. Following the 6-point penalty, Shandong Taishan Football Club has not released any official announcement. Sources reveal that the club accepts the sanction, takes it as a lesson, and remains optimistic about the 2026 season despite the setback.

Shandong Taishan’s winter training consists of two stages. The first stage is the Haikou training camp, primarily dedicated to building fitness and practicing tactics. On January 7, both Shandong Taishan and its B team departed for Haikou for a three-week training period.

Before the winter training began, Taishan strengthened its coaching staff: Spanish coach Abel Moreno was officially appointed as assistant coach for the first team, and fellow Spaniard Roberto Barrena took on the role of fitness coach for the first team.

Moreno brings over a decade of experience as a tactical assistant coach at professional clubs including Leon Deportivo, Reus, Tokushima Vortis, Tarragona, Ulsan Hyundai, Olympiacos, Deportivo La Coruña, and Incheon United. Barrena has coached Osasuna’s youth teams and helped Ecuador’s LDU Quito reach the Copa Libertadores final.

This coaching staff reinforcement is crucial for Taishan: firstly, when Han Peng coached Shandong Taishan in 2025, his coaching team was assembled temporarily. The new coaching lineup aims to enhance the team’s tactics and fitness. Secondly, Taishan's running statistics in 2025 were disappointing, ranking last in total distance covered due to both physical and tactical reasons. However, their high-intensity running ranked 11th, indicating a decent team spirit. With a new coaching team and ample preparation time, further tactical refinement and fitness improvement combined with youth development should boost the team’s overall performance.

In Haikou, Taishan played friendly matches against Dalian Yifang Haifa, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, Qingdao West Coast, South Korea’s Yongin, and FC Seoul. The lineups mainly featured young players; although the matches ended mostly in draws or losses, the results were secondary to evaluating the squad and tactical cohesion.

After the friendly against FC Seoul on January 30, the team had a three-day break before starting the second phase of winter training in Guangzhou on February 3. This phase is critical as foreign players, national team members, and U23 internationals will rejoin the squad. The team plans to finish training in Guangzhou before the Spring Festival and return to Jinan to prepare intensively for the 2026 season after the holiday.

More than a week ago, reports indicated that Taishan had secured a foreign central defender, although the club has yet to announce this officially. It appears the foreign defender will join during the Guangzhou training. Regarding domestic players, while the club intends to strengthen the squad, no concrete news has emerged, and some external rumors are inaccurate.

Before winter training began, Shandong Taishan set their target for the new season: to finish in the top three and compete for first place. Despite the 6-point deduction, there has been no indication that the club has lowered its ambitions. Sources confirm the club hopes the team can overcome difficulties and achieve a comeback.

For Taishan, the top-three target originally involved five rivals: Shanghai Port, Shanghai Shenhua, Chengdu Rongcheng, Beijing Guoan, and Zhejiang Club. Currently, Chengdu Rongcheng, which has no point deductions, stands as Taishan’s main competitor, needing to make up a 6-point gap over 30 rounds. Among others, Shanghai Shenhua faces a 10-point deduction, which is an even greater challenge, while Shanghai Port, Zhejiang, and Beijing Guoan each have 5-point deductions, similar to Taishan.

Overall, the 6-point penalty negatively affects Taishan’s prospects for the 2026 season to some extent, but the impact is not severe. The top six teams must also watch out for the rise of mid-table clubs. Last season, Shandong Taishan led the non-penalized mid-table teams by 11 points, showing a clear advantage.

To achieve their goal of finishing in the top three and contending for first place, morale and confidence are paramount for Taishan. The team must maintain high spirits and strong belief in overcoming adversity. Additionally, the quality of the foreign central defender could significantly influence the team's results. If the foreign defender performs well and consistently, the team could aim for a top-three finish even without domestic reinforcements. However, if the defender underperforms, Taishan might need to sacrifice some offensive strength to bolster their defense.