Starting with a negative point deduction, relegation warnings are at their peak: Tianjin Jinmen Tiger’s 2026 season begins with a desperate fight for every single point.

Written by Cheng Shan On January 29, the Chinese Football Association released the second round of anti-corruption sanctions in football, penalizing 13 clubs with point deductions and fines. Tianjin Jinmen Tiger was docked 10 points for the 2026 league season and fined 1 million yuan, becoming one of the clubs hit hardest. This punishment means Jinmen Tiger will start the new season with a -10 point deficit. Compared to the previous anti-corruption wave when they lost 6 points, this heavier penalty plunges the team into a deeper crisis. Facing player departures, urgent relegation battles, and the challenge of rebuilding its reputation, the club must unite and confront its past mistakes head-on to find hope in adversity and break the cycle of repeated punishments.

For a team that has long relied on “low-cost operations” to maintain its position in the Chinese Super League and has secured sixth place for two consecutive seasons, a 10-point gap is far from easy to overcome, and the loss of players only worsens this predicament.

The main squad of Jinmen Tiger has seen significant changes this season: key defender Yang Zihao transferred to Yunnan Yukun, core foreign player Ademi moved to Shenzhen Pengcheng, defender Ross joined the K League, and no strong domestic players were brought in. Coupled with an already thin bench, maintaining sufficient squad depth to cope with the long and intense Super League remains a major challenge.

Regarding transfers, constrained by an annual operating budget of around 100 million yuan, Jinmen Tiger struggles to attract strong reinforcements. The newly signed Portuguese forward Shetini and defender Colvado are direct replacements for the vacancies. Meanwhile, midfielder foreign player Salvador has just undergone surgery and is expected to return only in April. This means that at the start of the league, Jinmen Tiger can only field four foreign players, further limiting tactical flexibility on both offense and defense.

Although head coach Yu Genwei led the team to impressive results over the past two seasons with limited investment, the current dual challenge of a depleted squad and a negative starting point makes it difficult, even with his tactical skills, to quickly reverse the team’s disadvantage. Both coaching staff and players will face immense psychological and competitive pressure, and every defeat could drag the club deeper into relegation danger.

Starting the season with a -10 point deficit maximizes the relegation pressure on Jinmen Tiger. Among the punished clubs, nine Chinese Super League teams faced point deductions, with Shanghai Shenhua and Jinmen Tiger both docked 10 points. While Shenhua, with stronger squad depth and financial power, faces a tougher title challenge, Jinmen Tiger confronts a direct battle against relegation — a 10-point deduction effectively places the team a full safety zone behind the relegation line.

In professional leagues, clubs fighting relegation often face a “push when down” dilemma. Jinmen Tiger, starting at -10 points with a weakened squad, faces exactly this situation, meaning every match is a “final.” More importantly, with the Chinese Super League becoming increasingly competitive, the point differences among relegation-threatened teams are very narrow. One or two match results could determine the club’s fate. If Jinmen Tiger fails to seize opportunities early to gain points or reduce the gap in the first 15 rounds, the relegation outlook will worsen as the season progresses. Therefore, a strong start is crucial, and the team must approach the opening phase with a do-or-die mentality to lay a foundation for the survival battle ahead.

After the penalty announcement, head coach Yu Genwei shared an internal team speech audio on social media. He said: “When a family or a team encounters problems, real men must step forward and face them bravely. I believe this is our core value! We must confront the situation with a positive mindset, full of confidence! We will prepare well for winter training, trust our squad, and trust our team. We will fight back point by point, and seize every point we can!”

It is worth noting that most clubs penalized attribute their punishment to “historical issues,” trying to separate past mistakes from current operations. Jinmen Tiger’s case is special because Tianjin Teda has not completely severed ties with the club. In 2021, Jinmen Tiger was restructured, changing only its name and funding approach, while the registered legal entity, competition qualifications, historical records, and core ownership structure remain continuous with the original Tianjin Teda.

During the 2012 football anti-corruption crackdown, Tianjin Teda was penalized with a 6-point deduction and a 1 million yuan fine for the 2003 Jia A season. This new heavy punishment should serve as a lasting warning for Jinmen Tiger’s management team, and Tianjin Sports Bureau should strengthen club oversight. In 2003, Yu Genwei was a player for Tianjin Teda; now, punished again, he holds the dual roles of general manager and head coach. As he said, real men must stand up. The upcoming season will undoubtedly be tough for Jinmen Tiger, but if the team can unite morale, truly learn from history, and remain vigilant, giving their all, they may create miracles even in dire circumstances.