Tianhai terminated after losing brave battle for survival

After teetering on the brink for over four months, Chinese Super League side Tianjin Tianhai was finally forced to admit defeat in its survival fight on Tuesday, with the club disbanding and quitting the CSL due to "financial desperation".

Despite Tianhai's struggles being widely reported over the last year, confirmation of the club's demise still came as a shock to fans, with the sad news becoming one of the top ten trending news items on Chinese social media on Tuesday morning.

"Given our club's financial situation, which has become unsustainable and desperate, we can no longer maintain the normal operation of the club," read a Tianhai statement on Tuesday.

"After profound consideration, we have no alternative but to disband the club. For the past four months, the club has tried its best to stay in the Chinese Super League. It's regrettable that we can't achieve what we want."

Tianjin has been treading thin ice since early 2019 when its former owner, Quanjian Group, was hit by a financial scandal that eventually resulted in the club's primary supply of funding drying up.

After changing its name to Tianjin Tianhai, the club launched an ultimately fruitless search for fresh investment. On the pitch, the team battled on bravely, narrowly avoiding relegation by finishing 14th in the 16-team CSL last season.

The club's cash-flow problems were laid bare during the winter transfer window when it was unable to sign a single player and saw 13 players head out the exit door.

The postponement of the CSL's 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Tianhai, pushing it deeper into debt and scuppering its chances of finding new investment.

In March, Tianhai had attempted to generate fresh funds by offering to transfer ownership of the club "for free". But despite the club's assets being valued at between 648 million and 771 million yuan ($93 million to $111 million), Tianhai's undisclosed debt and the vast sums required to rebuild its ailing squad proved too risky a proposition for potential investors.

It looked like fans' prayers might be answered later that month, when real-estate giant Vantone Holdings Co. Ltd stepped in to take over the club. However, according to Titan Sports, negotiations had stalled.

Last week, desperate Tianhai players attempted to save the club themselves by announcing on social media that they would play for free next season, but their gesture wasn't enough to save the team.

"Our hope is lost and I feel sorry for all my players. For a long time, we've been trying to keep stable, look for help and express our voice," Tianhai head coach Li Weifeng wrote on Weibo.

"My team and I have barely rested during this time, with no payment. But this is something we truly wanted to do.

"My wife saw all the pressure that has tortured me and asked me why I have to keep fighting. This is a complicated question. It's about my responsibility, my connection with the team and my love for Tianjin soccer. At the end of the day, I just want my boys to have games to play."

Founded in 2006, Tianhai qualified for the AFC Champions League in 2017 with Italy's World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro as head coach and world-class players such as Axel Witsel and Alexandre Pato on its payroll.

However, it has been a downward spiral since those heady days, with the club's current crop of players now facing an uncertain future.

"Waiting for four months, we never gave up. But we didn't have the result we wanted," said Tianhai defender Zhang Cheng.

"I'll never regret joining the club when I was 18. I've been with the team for 13 years, with too many unforgettable moments.

"This journey ends, but I don't want to say goodbye. My soccer dream is still alive. I hope one day I can play again for my hometown and make my contribution to Tianjin soccer."