Wikipedia

Yunnan Yukun F.C.

Yunnan Yukun Football Club (Chinese: 云南玉昆足球俱乐部) is a Chinese professional football club based in Yuxi, Yunnan, that competes in China League One, the second tier of Chinese football. Yunnan Yukun plays its home matches at the Yuxi Plateau Sports Center Stadium, located within Hongta District.

Yunnan Yukun
logo
Full nameYunnan Yukun Football Club
云南玉昆足球俱乐部
Founded31 July 2021; 2 years ago (2021-07-31)
GroundYuxi Plateau Sports Center Stadium
Capacity22,000
ManagerLi Jinyu
LeagueChina League One
2023China League Two, 3rd of 16 (promoted)

Founded in 2021, Yunnan Yukun gained two successive promotions to go from the fourth-tier of Chinese football to the second between 2022 and 2023, winning the title in the fourth tier in 2022 in the process.

History edit

 
Yunnan Yukun Steel logo used in 2021

Founded as Yunnan Yukun Steel Football Club on 31 July 2021[1] by Yuxi Education Investment Co., Ltd., the club entered the 2021 Chinese Champions League,[2] with Zhu Jiong as the club's head coach.[2] Yunnan Yukun Steel were eventually knocked out in the finals in a group that consisted of Jinan Xingzhou and Jiangsu Zhongnan Codion.

The club was reformed in 2022 as Yuxi Yukun Steel Football Club by organisations which included the Yunnan Yuxi Yukun Steel Group, in a bid to secure promotion to China League Two, the Chinese third-tier.[3] Led by player-manager Shi Jun,[3] Yukun advanced out of their regional group in the 2022 Chinese Champions League. The club went on to become champions of the league on 20 November 2022 as they defeated Chongqing Tongliangloong over a penalty shoot-out after a two-legged tie, while confirming their spot in China League Two.[4][5]

At the end of pre-season in 2023, Yuxi Yukun Steel appointed Niu Hongli as the club's new manager for the coming 2023 China League Two season.[6] On 21 March 2023, the club changed its name to Yunnan Yukun Football Club.[7] On 20 June 2023, following a 3–1 loss at Hainan Star, Niu Hongli resigned as manager,[8] and Shi Jun would return to the club as his replacement.[9] In the South Group, after 14 games, Yunnan Yukun were placed third, thus advancing to the promotion stage. Less than three months after his managerial appointment, Shi Jun resigned as manager on 5 September with eight points to a promotion place and only five league games remaining,[10] and Li Jinyu was appointed as Yunnan Yukun manager on 7 September.[11] Yunnan Yukun finished third place in the promotion stage, one place short for promotion to China League One.[12] Following the dissolutions of Dalian Pro and Shenzhen, two clubs that have finished higher than them in the Chinese football pyramid, Yunnan Yukun were one club's disqualification away from gaining entry into China League One, so as to make up the numbers.[13] In January 2024, Dandong Tengyue player Li Xiaoting accused Yunnan Yukun on social media of "bribing Dandong to dissolve,"[14] in order for Yunnan Yukun to be promoted to China League One as a result. After reportedly undergoing investigation,[15] Yunnan Yukun were allegedly confirmed to have not taken part in any transactions,[16] but were admitted into China League One nonetheless,[17] due to Dandong Tengyue's withdrawal from the league, independent of the influence from Yunnan Yukun.

The winter pre-season of 2024 saw Yunnan Yukun bring in former international footballers Zakaria Labyad from FC Utrecht,[18] Nyasha Mushekwi from Zhejiang,[18] and Alexandru Ioniță from Rapid București,[18] as well as various domestic players with Chinese Super League playing experience to further strengthen their squad and prepare for the 2024 season.[19] Yunnan Yukun received their first point in China League One on the first league game of the season on 9 March 2024, as they drew 0–0 away at Foshan Nanshi.[20] With 17,872 fans in attendance,[21] Yunnan Yukun secured their first win in China League One on 16 March as they defeated 10-men Nanjing City 2–1 on the club's home debut of the season.[22]

Players edit

First-team squad edit

As of 26 February 2024

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   CHN Yao Haoyang (on loan from Hubei Istar)
2 DF   CHN Li Peng
3 DF   CHN Liu Yi
5 DF   CHN Jiang Jihong
6 MF   CHN Zhao Yuhao
7 FW   CHN Luo Jing
8 MF   CHN Zhong Haoran
9 MF   MAR Zakaria Labyad
10 MF   ROU Alexandru Ioniță
11 MF   CHN Chen Chenzhenyang
12 DF   CHN Zhao Jianan
13 GK   CHN Qiu Shengjun
14 FW   CHN Liu Yuhao
15 MF   CHN Shi Zhe
16 FW   CHN Zhao Jianbo
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 MF   CHN Liu Yi
18 DF   CHN Yi Teng
19 MF   CHN Du Jinlong
21 FW   CHN Li Biao
22 DF   CHN Dilmurat Mawlanyaz
23 GK   CHN Zhang Jianzhi
24 GK   CHN Yu Jianxian
26 MF   CHN Cui Ming'an
27 FW   CHN Han Zilong
28 MF   CHN He Xiaotian
29 MF   CHN Ruan Jun
30 FW   ZIM Nyasha Mushekwi
32 MF   CHN Li Guangwen
33 DF   CHN Cao Haiqing
36 MF   CHN Zang Yifeng

Notable players edit

The following players had international caps for their respective countries.

Honours edit

League

References edit

  1. ^ "打造玉溪足球"新名片" 云南玉昆钢铁足球". weixin.qq.com (in Chinese). 1 August 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b "中拉体育2021中国足球协会会员协会冠军联赛秩序册" (PDF). www.thecfa.cn (in Chinese). 22 September 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b "慧心生命2022中国足球协会会员协会冠军联赛秩序册" [Wisense Life 2022 Chinese Football Association Member Association Champions League manual] (PDF). www.thecfa.cn (in Chinese). 17 August 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b "中冠落幕：玉溪夺冠，铜梁龙亚军，韩子龙最佳球员" [CMCL wraps up: Yuxi crowned champions while Tongliangloong are runners-up, Han Zilong was awarded best player] (in Chinese). Dongqiudi. 21 November 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  5. ^ "2022中冠联赛落幕：泾川文汇排名第14". www.yangtse.com (in Chinese). 21 November 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  6. ^ "官宣||牛洪利出任云南玉昆足球俱乐部主教练" (in Chinese). Dongqiudi. 19 March 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  7. ^ "中国足球协会关于玉溪玉昆钢铁足球俱乐部 有限公司更名的公告". thecfa.cn (in Chinese). 21 March 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  8. ^ "公告II牛洪利先生辞去主教练一职". weixin.qq.com (in Chinese). 20 June 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  9. ^ "官方：石俊重回云南玉昆，担任主教练" (in Chinese). Dongqiudi. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  10. ^ "公告|| 石俊先生辞去主教练一职". weixin.qq.com (in Chinese). 5 September 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  11. ^ "官方：李金羽出任中乙云南玉昆主教练" (in Chinese). Dongqiudi. 19 March 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  12. ^ "云南玉昆首次参赛获中乙季军，重新燃烧高原足球希望" (in Chinese). Dongqiudi. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  13. ^ "云南玉昆此前曾陷不正当交易传言，被丹东队员网上指控" (in Chinese). Dongqiudi. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  14. ^ "丹东队球员李晓挺：云南给钱让我们解散他们递补，足协允许吗" (in Chinese). Dongqiudi. 16 January 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  15. ^ "足球报：云南玉昆与丹东腾跃涉嫌违规被纪检方面调查无缘准入" (in Chinese). Dongqiudi. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  16. ^ "朱艺：纪检部门调查确认玉昆与丹东无实质交易后通过准入" (in Chinese). Dongqiudi. 4 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  17. ^ "中国足球协会关于公布2024赛季职业联赛参赛名单的通知" (in Chinese). Chinese Football Association. 6 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  18. ^ a b c "三外援到位，官方：穆谢奎、约尼查、拉布亚德加盟云南玉昆". dongqiudi.com (in Chinese). 29 February 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  19. ^ "云南玉昆官方：球队引进赵宇豪、罗竞、迪力穆拉提等11人". dongqiudi.com (in Chinese). 21 February 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  20. ^ "佛山南狮0-0闷平云南玉昆，穆谢奎造险，黄楚淇伤退". dongqiudi.com (in Chinese). 9 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  21. ^ "中甲第2轮现场观众：广西队主场19218人最多，三场人数破万". dongqiudi.com (in Chinese). 17 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  22. ^ "云南玉昆2-1十人南京城市，约尼查、穆谢奎破门". dongqiudi.com (in Chinese). 16 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
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