Enhancing the quality of foreign players, Qingdao Hainiu plans a dramatic comeback

Reported by Chen Yong Among the nine Chinese Super League clubs penalized with point deductions, Qingdao Hainiu is considered the relegation team most affected. The new season brings an even tougher survival challenge for Qingdao Hainiu. Facing unprecedented difficulties, their path to avoiding relegation is destined to be hard, but in preparation for the 2026 season, Qingdao Hainiu has made thorough arrangements, laying a solid foundation for a potential turnaround next season.

Qingdao Hainiu was docked 7 league points this time, ranking just behind Shanghai Shenhua and Tianjin Jinmen Tiger. Within the relegation group, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger lost 10 points, Henan lost 6 points, and Wuhan Three Towns lost 5 points.

Referring to the 2025 season standings, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger had 44 points, Henan 37 points, while Qingdao Hainiu and Wuhan Three Towns both had 25 points. Qingdao Hainiu trails Tianjin Jinmen Tiger by 19 points and Henan by 12 points. If compared statically, although Jinmen Tiger and Henan suffered heavier point deductions, their relegation situation remains better than Qingdao Hainiu’s. As for Wuhan Three Towns, they completed a club shareholding reform at the end of 2025, and reports indicate their funding for the new season could reach 150 million yuan, clearly surpassing Qingdao Hainiu’s investment. Meanwhile, before the league started, Wuhan Three Towns already held a 2-point advantage over Qingdao Hainiu.

Regarding other clubs that might face relegation risks, such as Shenzhen New Pengcheng who fought relegation last season, and the two newly promoted teams this season, since they were not penalized, they start the season with a 7-point lead over Qingdao Hainiu. Additionally, their preparations for the 2026 season have highlights of their own; for example, Liaoning Ironmen have made significant signings, Shenzhen New Pengcheng similarly so, and Chongqing Tongliang Long boasts a larger number of talented young players.

For Qingdao Hainiu, besides the objectively tough relegation situation, subjectively, the confidence of the entire club and team may also be affected. Facing such a harsh survival challenge and heavy psychological pressure, can Hainiu perform normally in matches? Excessive mental stress often undermines a team’s fighting spirit.

Therefore, the first issue Qingdao Hainiu needs to address is confidence. Both the club and the team must strengthen their belief in survival and gradually erase the points deficit through persistent effort match by match. Only then can relegation be avoided. On this, head coach Milan said: “Now is the time for us to unite and be stronger than ever! Let’s come together and fight for Qingdao!” On another note, the status of Qingdao Hainiu’s foreign players is also a crucial factor in their survival plan, and currently, their preparation in this area appears relatively adequate.

After the 2025 season ended, all of Qingdao Hainiu’s foreign players left the team. Faced with the need to bring in five new foreign players, Qingdao Hainiu’s recruitment efforts and speed have been commendable; as early as January 23, they officially announced the signing of three new foreign players.

29-year-old Anjelkovic, standing 1.88 meters tall, plays as a central defender. He has experience in the Serbian Super League and Russian Premier League, with a peak market value of 800,000 euros and a current estimated value of 650,000 euros. 31-year-old Mesaoudi, 1.82 meters tall, can play as a central midfielder, defensive midfielder, or attacking midfielder. He was selected for Belgium’s U19 national team and has appeared in friendlies for Morocco’s national team. He previously played for Standard Liège and Mechelen, among others. At Tobol in Kazakhstan, he made 59 appearances, scored 15 goals, and assisted 14 times. His peak market value was 1.5 million euros, currently estimated at 800,000 euros.

30-year-old N’Diyoma, 1.91 meters tall, can operate as a central midfielder, defensive midfielder, or attacking midfielder. He has been called up to the Moroccan national team and previously played for Romania’s FC Steaua București. His highest market value was 1.5 million euros, with a current estimate of 800,000 euros.

Among the two foreign players yet to be officially announced, Swedish forward Strandberg has already arrived in Qingdao. Standing 1.87 meters tall, he plays as a striker and can also operate as a left or right winger. He represented Sweden at the U17 World Cup and has played for clubs including CSKA Moscow, Club Brugge, and Malmö. His peak market value in 2021 reached 2.8 million euros, with a current estimate of 700,000 euros.

The last foreign player is Ghanaian winger Yeboah, aged 29. He signed with Manchester City at 17, has been capped by the Ghana national team and appeared in World Cup qualifiers. In 2022, he transferred to MLS’s Columbus Crew for 1.82 million euros and won both the MLS Cup and CONCACAF Champions League titles. He previously played for LAFC. As of June 2024, his market value was still as high as 2.5 million euros, now estimated at 1 million euros.

The combined current market value of Qingdao Hainiu’s five new foreign players is 3.95 million euros, significantly higher than the estimated value of their five foreign players in the 2025 season. Although player value does not fully equate to combat ability, the raised recruitment standards have already sparked high expectations among Qingdao fans for the new foreign players’ performances. For Hainiu, the basic skills of these foreign players are unquestionable; the key lies in whether they can fully demonstrate their abilities on the field, especially maintaining consistent playing time.