Tianjin Jinmen Tiger
天津津门虎
Full nameTianjin Jinmen Tiger Football Club
天津津门虎足球俱乐部
Nickname(s)津门虎
(The Tigers)
Founded1951 (1951) (as North China)
1956 (1956) (as Tianjin F.C.)
16 February 1998 (1998-02-16) (as Tianjin TEDA)
GroundTEDA Football Stadium, Tianjin
Capacity36,390
OwnerTEDA Holding
ManagerYu Genwei
LeagueChinese Super League
2023Chinese Super League, 8th of 16
WebsiteClub website

Tianjin Jinmen Tiger Football Club (Chinese: 天津津门虎足球俱乐部; pinyin: Tiānjīn Jīnmén Hǔ Zúqiú Jùlèbù), previously Tianjin TEDA (Chinese: 天津泰达; pinyin: Tiānjīn Tàidá), is a Chinese professional football club based in Tianjin, that competes in the Chinese Super League, the top tier of Chinese football. Tianjin Jinmen Tiger plays its home matches at the TEDA Football Stadium, located within Binhai, and the Tianjin Olympic Center, located within Nankai District. The founding owners of the team are TEDA Holding (the sponsorship name is derived from the initials of Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area), a state-owned conglomerate of the People's Republic of China.[1] Tianjin Jinmen Tiger is one of the four clubs to have never been relegated from the Chinese top-flight since the Chinese Super League's foundation in 2004.

The club's predecessor was called Tianjin Football Club and they predominantly played in the top tier, where they won several domestic league and cup titles. In 1993, the club was reorganized to become a completely professional football club. Since then, they have won the 2011 Chinese FA Cup and were runners-up in the 2010 Chinese Super League season. Notable players of the team include Yu Genwei and Li Weifeng.

According to Forbes, Tianjin is the 8th most valuable football team in China, with a team value of $84 million, and an estimated revenue of $15 million in 2015.[2]

History

Tianjin Football Club

The club's first incarnation came in 1951 when the local government sports body decided to take part in China's first fully nationalized football league tournament and decided to merge the best players from Beijing and Tianjin to create the North China Football Team.[3] The team name was taken from the football team in the 1910 multi-sport event Chinese National Games that also represented the same regions.[4] The team ended up finishing fourth in their debut season and with the football league gradually expanding, the team was allowed to separate themselves from Beijing and the local government sports body were allowed to reformed the club as Tianjin Football Team in 1956. The players were mainly from the United White team that lost to the United Red team in the finals of the 1956 Chinese National Olympic Football Trial.[5] The club took part in the expanding 1957 Chinese national football league tournament where they ended the campaign as runners-up at the end of the season.[6] By 1959, the club would hire from within and promoted former team captain Zeng Xuelin as their manager, who would return this good faith by winning the 1960 league title as well as the Chinese FA Cup.[7] For the next several seasons, Tianjin would now become regular title contenders. However, the Cultural Revolution halted football within the country and when it returned, Zeng Xuelin had already left to join the Beijing Football Team.[8]

The club brought in Sun Xiafeng to manage the team and he would make sure Tianjin was still a force within the league when he guided the club to the runners-up spot at the end of the 1974 league season, where they narrowly lost the league title to Bayi Football Team on goal difference. His reign at the club was, however, short-lived, and it wasn't until Tianjin brought in Yan Dejun in 1977 that the club would taste any further success. While his first few seasons were not particularly eventful, he would go on to assemble a team built-up of young local players such as Lü Hongxiang, Zuo Shusheng, and Chen Jingang. The players he assembled would go on to mature in the 1980 league season, when Tianjin won the league title at the end of the campaign after a twenty-year wait.[9] With Tianjin allowed to field a B team within the second tier, the club would now have a steady supply of youngsters coming into the team to fight for places, which made sure the 1980 title win wasn't a one-off, when the club won the 1983 North League title.[10] This would, however, be Yan Dejun's last piece of silverware with the club and despite coming close on several occasions, he would leave the team in 1987. It was also during this period that the Chinese Football Association was demanding more professionalism from all the Chinese teams. Unfortunately for the club, this was a transitional period for the team and they were relegated to the second tier at the end of the 1991 league season.[11] Strangely enough, the club's management decided to miss the 1992 league season and spent the whole year in the Netherlands preparing the squad for full professionalism, which the club converted to in 1993.[12]

Professionalism

With the Chinese football leagues fully professional by 1994, Tianjin brought in Lin Xinjiang to manage the club, where he guided them to a runners-up position and promotion back into the top tier at the end of the season.[13] With the club back in the top tier, they soon gained their first sponsorship deal with Samsung in 1995. On the field, they achieved enough to remain within the league until Lin Xinjiang left the club, and they were soon relegated to the second tier once again at the end of the 1997 league season.[14] On February 16, 1998, the TEDA Group (derived from the initials of Tianjin Economic – Technological Development Area) took over the club for 50 million yuan, along with lower league local rivals Tianjin Vanke, to form Tianjin TEDA F.C. for the start of the 1998 Chinese league season.[15] The club would bring in their first-ever foreign coach and immediately win promotion back to the top tier by winning the division title.[16] The club struggled to remain within the top division and often found themselves in the lower half of the league. While this may have been enough to avoid relegation for the previous seasons, the Chinese Football Association decided to employ an averaging system for the 2003 league campaign, which would also take into account the 2002 league results. It seemed like the club would be relegated once again unless they beat title chasers Shanghai COSCO Sanlin on the final league game of the season, which they unexpectedly did, winning the game 2–1. It was discovered that the result was too good to be true and that the general manager Yang Yifeng bribed the Shanghai COSCO Sanlin players Shen Si, Qi Hong, Jiang Jin, and Li Ming to forfeit the game.[17] With the Chinese FA attempting to clean up its image over match-fixing, they decided that despite the incidents taking place over 10 years ago, it would retroactively punish the club on February 18, 2013, with a 1 million Yuan fine and a 6-point deduction at the beginning of the 2013 Chinese Super League season.[18]

Tianjin remained in the Chinese top tier while it re-branded itself as the Chinese Super League. They also affiliated themselves with Australian A-League Club Melbourne Victory in 2007.[19] They achieved little until the club brought in former player Zuo Shusheng to manage the team during the 2008 league season, when he revitalised the team and guided the club to their first-ever entry to the AFC Champions League.[20] At the beginning of the 2009 league season, the club brought in Li Guangyi as their new general manager. However, on August 18, the players went on strike during a training session after it was discovered he wanted to change the club's pay system, which would have shrunken the players' wages, and it was not until the club's owner, Liu Huiwen, heard the players' representatives that the strike ended.[21] After the strike, its leaders, such as Chinese internationals Yang Jun and Han Yanming and Chinese U-23 player Tan Wangsong, would be frozen out of the team and eventually released, while back on the field the club's results declined as they were unable to replicate the previous season's achievements.[22] By the following season, the club would bring in former Chinese international manager Arie Haan, where he guided the club to a runners-up spot at the end of the 2010 league season. He would then guide the club to a last 16 position within the 2011 AFC Champions League and then lead the club to win their first piece of professional silverware when they won the 2011 Chinese FA Cup.[23] In subsequent seasons, they struggled and declined in the ranks, coming within one rank of relegation in the 2018 Chinese Super League. After a short comeback of 7th place in the 2019 season, their situation continued to get worse. Despite the efforts of firing German Uli Stielike and replacing him with Wang Baoshan to attempt for positive changes midway of the season, TEDA was placed last in finishing the regular portion of the 2020 season, with a winless league season of only 3 draws. TEDA also became the first team in CSL history to suffer a winless season (excluding specialized playoffs in 2020 due to the occurrence of COVID-19). Additionally, this season was the worst season in terms of points for both TEDA and any team in CSL history. As an outcome, TEDA sparked the public anger of many of its fans. Plenty of them went on social media such as Weibo to criticize the team and expressed their deep dissatisfaction towards the players, the coach, as well as the club officials. Nevertheless, they won two matches out of six relegation playoffs, which eventually earned them a surprising tenth place as their final position.[24]

Dramatic revival

Since the end of the 2020 season, a series of reports revealed the fact that the team would be discontinued by the TEDA group.[25][26][27] The team did not regroup for winter training, while players began to terminate their contracts and move to other teams.[28] Many claimed that their salaries were unpaid.[29] On 28 February 2021, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger failed to submit entrance files for the 2020 season, when it came to a consensus that the team would possibly not participate in the 2021 CSL, although the team constantly remained silent about the issue.[30] Then on 23 March, the day when the CFA was supposed to publish the entry list for the 2021 season, sources claimed that Tianjin Jinmen Tiger would re-submit necessary files for participation,[31] while the publication was actually postponed.[32] A few days later, Tianjin Tigers was officially listed among other 2021 CSL teams, indicating a dramatic revive.[33]

Name history

  • 1956–1992: Tianjin (天津市足球队)[34]
  • 1993–1997: Tianjin F.C. (天津足球俱乐部)
  • 1998–2020: Tianjin TEDA (天津泰达)
  • 2021–: Tianjin Jinmen Tiger (天津津门虎)

Crest history

Grounds

TEDA Football Stadium

The TEDA Football Stadium (Chinese: 泰达足球场), with a capacity of 36,390 people, is a football stadium in Tianjin, China. It is the current home of Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and was built in 2004. The stadium is located in the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA), and was designed by Peddle Thorp, an Australian architecture firm.

Rivalries

The Jing-Jin derby is a local rivalry between Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and neighboring Beijing Guoan.[35] Both teams can trace their histories to the North China Football Team before it split to form Tianjin and Beijing.[36] Since then, both clubs have predominantly remained within the top tier of Chinese football, providing a constant rivalry fixture which has led to intense matches that have spilled out away from the stadiums and onto the streets that have led to property destruction as well as further intensifying their relationship. Also, Tianjin Tianhai was considered their rival and developed during recent years due to the separation of some Tianjinese fans. The two teams used the same ground in the 2019 season. Nevertheless, this rivalry came to an end following the dissolution of Tianhai in 2020.[37]

Current squad

First-team squad

As of 11 January 2024
No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK China CHN Li Yuefeng
3 DF China CHN Wang Zhenghao
5 DF China CHN Yu Yang
6 DF China CHN Han Pengfei
7 FW China CHN Leng Jixuan
8 MF China CHN Zhao Yingjie (3rd captain)
11 FW China CHN Xie Weijun
15 DF China CHN Ming Tian
16 DF China CHN Yang Zihao
17 MF China CHN Sun Xuelong
18 FW China CHN Gao Huaze
No. Pos. Nation Player
21 MF China CHN Zhang Xingliang
22 GK China CHN Fang Jingqi
23 DF China CHN Qian Yumiao
25 GK China CHN Yan Bingliang
29 FW China CHN Ba Dun
30 MF China CHN Wang Qiuming (captain)
32 MF China CHN Su Yuanjie
36 MF China CHN Guo Hao
40 MF China CHN Shi Yan
— MF Croatia CRO Ivan Fiolić

Reserve squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player

Retired numbers

12 – Club Supporters (the 12th Man) The number was retired in January 2016.[38]

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player

Coaching staff

Position Staff
Head coach China Yu Genwei
General Coordinator China Wang Jun
Assistant Coach China Zhang Chaosong
Assistant Coach China Sun Jianjun
Assistant Coach Spain Alejandro Esteve
Goalkeeping Coach China Wang Lüe
Fitness Coach Spain Ignacio Gonzalo
Coach China Tan Wangsong

Managerial history

Semi-pro seasons：

  • China Liu Shifan (caretaker) (1951)
  • China Li Chaogui (first official head coach) (1956)
  • China Shao Xiankai (1957–59)
  • China Zeng Xuelin (1959–72)
  • China Sun Xiafeng (1973–75)
  • China Shen Furu (1975–77)
  • China Yan Dejun (1977–87)
  • China Shen Furu (1988–90)
  • China Zhang Yanan (1991)
  • China Zuo Shusheng (Jan 1, 1992 – Dec 31, 1992)
  • China Shen Furu (1993)

Professional seasons:[39]

Honours

All-time honours list, including semi-professional Tianjin Football Club period.[40][41]

League

Cup

Reserve Team

  • Coca-Cola Olympic League Champions: 1996
  • Reserve League Champions: 2007

Youth

U-19 Team

  • U19 FA Cup Winners: 2005

U-15 Team

  • U15 Winners Cup Winners: 2006

Minor Trophies

  • Lord Mayor's Cup:
    • Winners (1): 2009

Results

All-time league rankings

As of the end of 2023 season.[42][43]

Year Div Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Pos. FA Cup Super Cup League Cup AFC Other Att./G Stadium
1956 – – – – – – – – – –RU – –
1957120153248183053RUNH – –
1958121876342014443NH – –
196011393125101591WW – –
19611177912311121013NH – –
19621199823116151214NH – –
19631103251618−2313NH – –
19641228861517−2245NH – –
19651113441091107NH – –
197312414463518171615NH – –
19741181341391326151RUNH – –
197618611164121312NH – –
197711310122410146NH – –
197813013116392910374NH – –
19791301389362412346NH – –
1980129169434142041WNH – –
198113017 –13347NH – –
1982130 –1911472720383NH – –
198311612 –424111324W3NH – –
198413021 –947281942RU4 – –
19851158 –7111685 – –
1986114752201191946 – –
19871146621913624RUNH – –
1988125119529141548.53NH – –
198911453613130195NH – –
199011456317116225Group – –
19911142210822−1468Group – –
19921 – – – – – – – – –R2 – –
19932951/0313103413NH – –
1994220910132221028RUNH – –DNEMinyuan Stadium
199512273122040−20248R1DNQ –19,173Minyuan Stadium
19961226882030−10268R2DNQ –20,345Minyuan Stadium
19971225892028−82311R2DNQ –17,091Minyuan Stadium
19982221111042202244WR2DNQ –Minyuan Stadium
1999126811732284357R1DNQ –13,692Minyuan Stadium
200012671092837−93110R2DNQ –13,692Minyuan Stadium
20011261061038317367QFDNQ –10,154Minyuan Stadium
20021289712373613410QFDNQ –9,250Minyuan Stadium
200312881283233−13610R16DNQ –13,000Minyuan Stadium
20041227872829−1296R2NHSF13,182Minyuan Stadium
TEDA Football Stadium
20051261475482622494R1NHR116,462
20061281010840382406QFNHNH18,071
2007128128831229446NHNHNH15,429TEDA Football Stadium
20081301695542925574NHNHNH14,007
2009130129936297456NHNHNHGroup14,554
2010130131163729850RUNHNHNH14,757
201113081393741−43710WNHNHR1618,242TEDA Football Stadium
Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium
20121301010102930−1408R4RUNHGroup14,175TEDA Football Stadium
2013130117123539−434411R4DNQNH16,577Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium
TEDA Football Stadium
2014130109114144−3397R3DNQNH17,190
2015130710133946−73113R4DNQNH19,661Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium
201613099123850−123610R4DNQNH22,081
201713087153049−193113R4DNQNH14,531Tianjin Tuanbo Football Stadium
201813088144154−133214R16DNQNH18,487Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium
2019130125134345−2417QFDNQNH19,037
202012025131535−20310SFDNQNHSuzhou and Dalian
202112256111835-172112R16DNQNHSuzhou
20221341471345423498R3DNQNHHaikou
202313011154402911488QFDNQNH30,395Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium
TEDA Football Stadium
  • No league games in 1959, 1966–72, and 1975; Tianjin didn't compete in 1992 Jia B but had kept their spot in the league.
  • ^1 : In final group stage. ^2 : In the group stage. ^3 : In the north league. ^4 : Deducted 6 points.

Key

Continental results

Season Competition Round Opposition Home Away Rank
/Agg.
2009 AFC Champions League Group stage Japan Kawasaki Frontale
3–1
0–1
3rd
Australia Central Coast Mariners
2–2
1–0
South Korea Pohang Steelers
0–0
0–1
2011 AFC Champions League Group stage South Korea Jeju United
3–0
1–0
2nd
Japan Gamba Osaka
2–1
0–2
Australia Melbourne Victory
1–1
1–2
Round of 16 South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors —
0–3
 —
2012 AFC Champions League Group stage Australia Central Coast Mariners
0–0
1–5
4th
South Korea Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
0–3
1–1
Japan Nagoya Grampus
0–3
0–0

References

  1. ↑ "Company Overview of Tianjin TEDA Group Company Ltd". bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2015-04-24.
  2. ↑ "Chinese Soccer's Most Valuable Teams". Forbes. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  3. ↑ "China League Tables 1951". RSSSF. 22 Oct 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  4. ↑ "China 1910". RSSSF. 22 Oct 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  5. ↑ 我的越秀山故事（八） [My YuexiuShan Story] (PDF). Guangzhou R&F FC Official Magazine (in Chinese). Vol. 13, no. 106. Guangzhou R&F FC. 2017-09-16. p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
  6. ↑ "China League Tables 1957". RSSSF. 22 Oct 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  7. ↑ "China League Tables 1960". RSSSF. 22 Oct 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  8. ↑ "曾雪麟:佩兰别重蹈卡马乔覆辙". sports.qq.com. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
  9. ↑ "China League Tables 1980". RSSSF. 22 Oct 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  10. ↑ "China League Tables 1983". RSSSF. 22 Oct 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  11. ↑ "China League Tables 1991". RSSSF. 22 Oct 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  12. ↑ "China 1992". RSSSF. 2009-10-22. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
  13. ↑ "China League Tables 1994". RSSSF. 19 Jun 2003. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  14. ↑ "China League Tables 1997". RSSSF. 21 Jun 2003. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  15. ↑ "中国球队消失多数因为钱 汉军退赛八一受困体制". sports.sohu.com. 2012-11-13. Retrieved 14 Jan 2013.
  16. ↑ "天津泰达". data.sports.163.com. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  17. ↑ "Shanghai stars held in soccer graft probe". shanghaidaily.com. 2010-10-18. Retrieved 2013-02-20.
  18. ↑ "Breaking News: Shenhua and Tianjin face 6 point deduction; Xu Hong barred from football for 5 years". wildeastfootball.net. February 18, 2013. Retrieved 2013-02-20.
  19. ↑ "A-League Champions Melbourne Victory To Have Chinese Pre-Season". goal.com. 2009-04-22. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
  20. ↑ "China League Tables 2008". RSSSF. 3 Apr 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  21. ↑ "泰达球员痛述李广益4罪行 他要把于根伟赶出天津?". jmnews.com.cn. 20 Aug 2009. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  22. ↑ "泰达向韩燕鸣杨君发出最后通牒:交代罢训真相可归队". sports.sina.com.cn. 3 Mar 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  23. ↑ "Shandong Luneng 1–2 Tianjin Teda". soccerway.com. 19 Nov 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  24. ↑ "泰达球迷刷爆俱乐部官博：恭喜泰达零封对手收获一分". bbs.hupu.com. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  25. ↑ "天津泰达欠薪，国资俱乐部的生存窘境". qq.com. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  26. ↑ "再见泰达？解散在即，曝津媒不敢报道泰达的消息，不想给球迷希望". qq.com. 18 February 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  27. ↑ "足球报：泰达已内部表态将放弃这家俱乐部，正在等待体育局批复". qq.com. 20 February 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  28. ↑ "泰达仍未吹响冬训集结号，中超其他球队进度如何？". sohu.com. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  29. ↑ "被外援炮轰不职业且存在欠薪行为". qq.com. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  30. ↑ "再见天津泰达！没有按时提交工资确认表，无缘新赛季中超联赛". qq.com. 28 February 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  31. ↑ Xuan, Li (26 March 2021). "Li Xuan on Sina Weibo". weibo.com. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  32. ↑ "新赛季准入名单延迟公布". sohu.com. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  33. ↑ "关于公布获得2021赛季中国足球协会职业准入资格俱乐部名单的通知". Chinese Football Association. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  34. ↑ "Tianjin Teda FC". weltfussballarchiv.com. 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
  35. ↑ "Jing Jin Derby". english.cri.cn. 2011-10-21. Archived from the original on April 7, 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-24.
  36. ↑ "China 1956". RSSSF. 2009-10-22. Retrieved 2015-04-24.
  37. ↑ "Small group of Beijing "fans" involved in property destruction on Saturday night". wildeastfootball.net. 2013-05-22. Retrieved 2015-04-24.
  38. ↑ 泰达封存12号战袍献球迷 征吉祥物替哪吒 sports.163.com 2016-01-20 Retrieved 2016-01-20
  39. ↑ "Tianjin Teda " Manager history". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 2017-02-21.
  40. ↑ "China – List of Champions". RSSSF. 2015-11-05. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  41. ↑ "China List of Cup Winners". RSSSF. 2015-09-02. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  42. ↑ "China League History". RSSSF. 22 Oct 2009. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  43. ↑ "天津泰达". sodasoccer.com. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
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