Chinese Super League reduced to an AFC Champions League joke: from 12 to 8, the CSL champion, runner-up, and third place all ended up in the bottom three and were eliminated together.

The eight rounds of the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Elite Stage are over, and the Chinese Super League once again turned into a joke in the tournament. During the East Asia zone’s 12-to-8 group phase, last season’s CSL champion and runner-up ended up in the bottom three and exited hand in hand. The CSL has become the most disappointing league in the AFC Champions League, with its three leading clubs acting like easy targets.

Performance of the three CSL teams in the AFC Champions League Elite Stage:

• Last season’s CSL champion Shanghai Port: 0 wins, 4 draws, 4 losses, 4 points, finishing last.
• Last season’s CSL runner-up Shanghai Shenhua: 1 win, 1 draw, 6 losses, 4 points, finishing second to last.
• Last season’s CSL third place Chengdu Rongcheng: 1 win, 3 draws, 4 losses, 6 points, finishing third from bottom.

Fans joked that Shanghai Port is first in the CSL but last in the AFC Champions League; Shanghai Shenhua is second in the CSL but second to last in the ACL; Chengdu Rongcheng is third in the CSL but third to last in the ACL. Maybe the CSL’s second-to-last team would be first if it played in the ACL.

Why do CSL teams become easy points in the AFC Champions League?

• First: Lack of funds means foreign players are mediocre, combined with weak domestic players. Without quality foreign signings, it’s impossible to have key players who can uplift the entire team.
• Second: Scheduling conflicts. The AFC Champions League spans two calendar years, while the CSL runs on a calendar-year schedule. During the ACL group stage, the CSL is in the crucial championship race phase, so the top three CSL teams basically give up on the ACL to focus on winning the CSL title.