Ma Dexing: Shandong Taishan Needs to Understand the Financial Implications of International Competitions; AFC Champions League Offers Vastly Different Rewards Compared to Lower Tiers

On the evening of August 13 at 8 PM, Shandong Taishan will face Bangkok United in a home match during the AFC Champions League (ACL) Play-off Round.

Ma Dexing wrote that “from a financial perspective, winning or losing just this one match against Bangkok United carries a difference of at least 500,000 USD.”

Ma Dexing pointed out that even if Shandong Taishan fails to defeat Bangkok United in the play-off round, their situation differs from last season’s Shanghai Port team in that they would still compete in the second-tier AFC Champions League. Regardless of whether they participate in the AFC Champions League Elite League or the regular AFC Champions League, Shandong Taishan will have expenses, but the costs and expenditures of competing in the latter are significantly higher than in the former. The entire team must understand this.

In terms of prize money, with the restructuring of the three tiers of the AFC Champions League, teams entering the Elite League will receive a 100,000 USD appearance fee per match, meaning Shandong Taishan is guaranteed a minimum of 800,000 USD. If Shandong Taishan achieves four victories in the group stage (league stage) as they did last season, they will earn an additional 400,000 USD in victory bonuses. This means they can accumulate 1.2 million USD in the first phase alone, far exceeding the income from the group stage of last season’s AFC Champions League. In the knockout stages of the new season’s AFC Champions League Elite League, the appearance fees skyrocket: teams reaching the Round of 16 receive 200,000 USD each; those advancing to the quarter-finals receive 400,000 USD; and those reaching the semi-finals receive 600,000 USD. This means that if Shandong Taishan reaches the quarter-finals, they will earn at least 1 million USD.

If they unfortunately end up in the AFC Champions League, with the same win-loss record as last season, Shandong Taishan would only earn 500,000 USD. Compared to earning 1.2 million USD for the same performance in the AFC Champions League Elite League, this represents a net loss of 700,000 USD.

Ma Dexing concluded by saying, “Regardless of whether they can replicate last season’s achievement of reaching the quarter-finals and boosting the morale of Chinese Super League (CSL), purely from a financial perspective, the outcome of Shandong Taishan’s match against Bangkok United on August 13 carries a difference of at least 500,000 USD (approximately 3.58 million CNY).”

“From the perspective of technical points awarded to member associations by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the CSL ranked seventh in Asia after last season, largely due to Shandong Taishan’s efforts, ensuring that the CSL surpassed Thailand and secured two plus one (2+1) slots in the Elite League. The results of matches in the AFC Champions League also factor into the technical point system, but the value of one match is only one-third that of the Elite League, making it less significant in comparison.”

“Therefore, from any angle, the financially strapped Shandong Taishan need to carefully consider and fully understand that, facing the upcoming play-off, they should temporarily set aside all other conflicts and concentrate on defeating Bangkok United to advance to the main draw of the Elite League, rather than continue internal strife and neglect the primary objective.”