Soccer News: Steady Progress – New Yunnan Yun Kun Team in CSL Next Year Boosts Local “Soccer Economy”

Last night, in the 26th round of the China League One, Yunnan Yu Kun defeated Shanghai Jiading Hui Long 2-0 with goals from Joniça and Han Zilong in the first and second halves, securing promotion to the Chinese Super League (CSL) four rounds ahead of schedule. After a 21-year hiatus, Yunnan football has returned to the top tier of Chinese professional football, achieving a three-level jump from the China League Two to the CSL.

The Soccer News wrote that when Yu Kun was established, it lacked a foundation because the withdrawal of Yunnan Hongta led to the disappearance of many local soccer schools in Yunnan, making it difficult to build a competitive team. Therefore, stable investment was key to building the team from scratch. After entering professional football, Yu Kun’s investments were rational, which is why they managed to attract many players each season. The investors ensured that more players saw the club’s stable budget, non-arrears advantages, and attractive development plans. In today’s Chinese football market, not owing salaries is considered an important factor for clubs to attract players. Regardless of whether in the China League Two, China League One, or next year’s CSL, Yu Kun has made adequate preparations, aiming to ensure the team’s stability, explore a unique path for the development of Yunnan professional football, and truly “carry the banner of Yunnan football.”

“Let’s go watch the game in Yuxi this weekend!” Over the past two years, Yu Kun has successfully made soccer a cultural and spiritual pursuit for the locals. Every weekend, whenever Yu Kun has a home game, online tickets are quickly sold out, and long queues form outside the club’s gates. Fans from neighboring cities come to Yuxi via convenient intercity transportation, filling up hotels around the stadium and boosting restaurant business. The local government sees the integration of culture, tourism, and sports economy driven by event economy as a major task and central work, striving to develop “soccer economy” and “event economy,” promote the integrated development of culture, tourism, and sports industries, invigorate the city, and continuously enhance Yuxi’s new image. Moving forward, the club will closely cooperate with provincial and municipal authorities, learn from past experiences, collaborate, and jointly plan the future of Yunnan football.

Four steps in four years, this young club has been steadily progressing at every step. As a newcomer to the CSL next year, they aim for even greater stability, establishing themselves firmly on the stage of the top league.