2012 Chinese Super League


The 2012 Chinese Super League was the ninth season since the establishment of the Chinese Super League, the nineteenth season of a professional football league and the 51st top-tier league season in China. It began on March 10, 2012 and ended on November 3, 2012.
The matches that were intended to be held on September 15 and 16, 2012 were suspended for a later date due to an international dispute between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands. With Hangzhou Greentown F.C. having a Japanese manager and several Chinese demonstrations arising throughout China it was decided that the September 23, 2012 match against Liaoning Whowin F.C. should be played behind closed doors with the Xianghe National Football Training Base used as a neutral venue.

Promotion and relegation

Teams promoted from 2011 China League One
Teams relegated to 2012 China League One

Clubs and locations

Managerial changes

TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyTableIncoming managerDate of appointment
Guangzhou R&F Li ShubinSackedPre-seasonN/A Sérgio FariasPre-season
Changchun Yatai Shen XiangfuResignedPre-seasonN/A Svetozar ŠapurićPre-season
Dalian Aerbin Aleksandar StankovSackedPre-seasonN/A Chang Woe-RyongPre-season
Henan Jianye Jo BonfrereMutual consentPre-seasonN/A Jan VersleijenPre-season
Hangzhou Greentown Wu JinguiResignedPre-seasonN/A Takeshi OkadaPre-season
Shandong Luneng Taishan Manuel BarbosaEnd of contractPre-seasonN/A Henk ten CatePre-season
Shanghai Shenhua Dražen BesekEnd of contractPre-seasonN/A Jean TiganaPre-season
Tianjin Teda Arie HaanEnd of contractPre-seasonN/A Josip KužePre-season
Qingdao Jonoon Chang Woe-RyongEnd of contractPre-seasonN/A Blaž SliškovićPre-season
Qingdao Jonoon Blaž SliškovićFIFA Arbitration13 March 201210th Yang Weijian 13 March 2012
Dalian Aerbin Chang Woe-RyongResigned3 April 201215th Aleksandar Stanojević4 April 2012
Shanghai Shenhua Jean TiganaResigned26 April 201210th Jean-Florent Ikwange Ibenge 26 April 2012
Guangzhou Evergrande Lee Jang-SooSacked17 May 20121st Marcello Lippi17 May 2012
Qingdao Jonoon Yang Weijian –24 May 201216th Chang Woe-Ryong24 May 2012
Tianjin Teda Josip KužeSacked28 May 201211th Alexandre Guimarães1 June 2012
Shanghai Shenhua Jean-Florent Ikwange Ibenge –30 May 20129th Sergio Batista30 May 2012
Henan Jianye Jan VersleijenSacked15 July 201216th Shen Xiangfu15 July 2012
Shandong Luneng Taishan Henk ten CateResigned6 September 201212th Wu Jingui 6 September 2012

International players

The number of foreign players is restricted to five per CSL team, including a slot for a player from AFC countries. A team can use four foreign players on the field in each game, including at least one player from the AFC country. Players from Hong Kong, Macau and Chinese Taipei are deemed to be native players in CSL.
ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Player 4Asian PlayerAdditive PlayersFormer Players
Beijing Guoan Darko Matić Joffre Guerrón Frédéric Kanouté Reinaldo Manú
François
Andrija Kaluđerović
Changchun Yatai Cássio Weldon Marquinhos Edixon Perea Anzur Ismailov Marko Ljubinković
Dalian Aerbin Fábio Rochemback Lee Addy Seydou Keita Peter Utaka Daniel Mullen Mile Sterjovski
Gustavo Canales
Dalian Shide Carlos Adriano Martin Kamburov Ricardo Esteves James Chamanga Park Dong-Hyuk
Guangzhou Evergrande Darío Conca Cléo Muriqui Paulão Cho Won-Hee Lucas Barrios
Kim Young-Gwon
Guangzhou R&F Rafael Coelho Davi Jumar Yakubu Rostyn Griffiths Leonardo
Guizhou Moutai Zlatan Muslimović Rafa Jordà Nano Rubén Suárez Dino Djulbic Gustavo Rodas
Hangzhou Greentown Fabrício Mazola Renatinho Jeong Dong-Ho Kim Dong-Jin
Henan Jianye Adaílton Leandro Netto Isaac Chansa Christopher Katongo Son Seung-Joon Marcos Flores
Enis Hajri
Jiangsu Guoxin Sainty Sergey Krivets Eleílson Cristian Dănălache Aleksandar Jevtić Kamoliddin Tajiev Miljan Mrdaković
Liaoning Whowin Pablo Brandán Vlatko Grozdanoski Miloš Trifunović Kim You-Jin
Qingdao Jonoon Bruno Meneghel Léo San Gabriel Melkam Aziz Ibrahimov Krunoslav Lovrek
Shandong Luneng Taishan Leonardo Pisculichi Gilberto Macena Simão Mate Junior José Ortigoza Roda Antar Fabiano
Obina
Shanghai Shenhua Moisés Giovanni Moreno Didier Drogba Nicolas Anelka Joel Griffiths Mario Božić
Mathieu Manset
Shanghai Shenxin Antônio Flávio Johnny Jaílton Paraíba Anselmo Tadeu Jonas Salley
Tianjin Teda Vladimir Jovančić Veliče Šumulikoski Sjoerd Ars Lucian Goian Milan Susak Akpo Sodje

Positions by round

Results

Goalscorers

Top scorers

Hat-tricks

Awards

League Attendance

Top 10 Attendances

AttendanceRoundDateHomeScoreAwayVenueWeekdayTime of Day
65,7692820 October 2012Jiangsu Guoxin Sainty1–1Guangzhou EvergrandeNanjing Olympic Sports CenterSaturdayNight
52,888204 August 2012Guizhou Maotai2–1Guangzhou EvergrandeGuiyang Olympic Sports CenterSaturdayNight
52,8362927 October 2012Jiangsu Guoxin Sainty0–0Beijing GuoanNanjing Olympic Sports CenterSaturdayAfternoon
51,983110 March 2012Guizhou Maotai2–1Shandong LunengGuiyang Olympic Sports CenterSaturdayNight
51,795216 March 2012Beijing Guoan3–2Shanghai ShenhuaWorkers StadiumFridayNight
42,668167 July 2012Beijing Guoan1–0Guangzhou R&FWorkers StadiumSaturdayNight
42,24142 April 2012Guizhou Maotai1–2Henan JianyeGuiyang Olympic Sports CenterMondayAfternoon
41,287613 April 2012Beijing Guoan2–1Shandong LunengWorkers StadiumFridayNight
39,9971928 July 2012Guangzhou Evergrande2–2Shanghai ShenhuaTianhe StadiumSaturdayNight
39,9911715 July 2012Guangzhou Evergrande0–1Guangzhou R&FTianhe StadiumSundayNight