September 4: Taishan on 36 points and one point from AFC Champions League place, yet calls for a coaching change grow; Li Xiaopeng rejects Hai Niu renewal and Li Jinyu remains without a new club after dismissal

On September 3, 2026, Shandong Taishan ranked fifth in the Chinese Super League standings with 36 points, only one point away from the AFC Champions League qualification zone, but calls from fans for a coaching change have intensified for several rounds.

What makes this wave of public opinion unusual is not the results themselves, but that the three domestic coaches reportedly receiving the most support are almost all currently unemployed. Li Xiaopeng has not returned to professional football since rejecting Qingdao Hainiu's contract renewal offer at the end of last year, while Li Jinyu has not found a new club since being dismissed by Liaoning Tieren in May. The third candidate has still not been officially confirmed.

The coaches fans want to replace the current manager with are not looking for jobs.

This situation of “wanting a change but having no one to take over” did not appear suddenly. In the 25th round of the CSL on August 28, Shandong Taishan defeated Shanghai Shenhua 3-2 away from home. Gao Zhunyi had accumulated seven yellow cards and was close to suspension, while Taishan secured a crucial three points on the road, raising their total from 33 to 36 points. The match gave the team renewed hope for AFC Champions League qualification, but also highlighted previous dissatisfaction.

Taishan have recorded 13 wins, 3 draws and 9 losses this season. Their ability to win is not poor, but several of their nine defeats came by large margins, leading fans to believe the current coaching staff cannot maintain stable performances during the final push.

In contrast to Taishan's push for a strong finish is Qingdao Hainiu's decline. In the same round on August 29, Qingdao Hainiu suffered a 1-5 home defeat against Wuhan Three Towns and secured relegation one round early. Hainiu began the season with seven points deducted and an 800,000 yuan fine by the Chinese football authorities due to unresolved historical wage arrears.

In April, FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber also ruled that Hainiu must pay foreign player Milovic about 460,000 US dollars in salary-related costs, with failure to do so resulting in a ban on registering new players. Although the defense continued to collapse during Ristic's tenure, the deeper issue was the club's operational problems.

Li Xiaopeng earned 25 points from 30 matches while coaching Hainiu last year, averaging 0.83 points per game. Considering the team started with a seven-point deduction, the result was not poor. Before the start of the 2026 season, he clearly rejected Hainiu's renewal offer. After Hainiu's relegation, Qingdao fans repeatedly called for his return to rescue the team, but the online claim on September 2 that “Li Xiaopeng's return was officially announced” was marked as a rumor correction by the poster, and the club made no official announcement.

From rejecting a contract renewal to rejecting a rescue mission, the gap is not just one season; it reflects the broader reality in the CSL relegation battle, where funding approvals are slow and player recruitment is difficult.

Li Jinyu's situation is more straightforward. In May 2026, he officially left his position as head coach of Liaoning Tieren Nanbowan, and no coaching appointment has been publicly announced since then. He was once named the best coach in the China League One, but in the professional football coaching market, a dismissal experience alone can make potential employers hesitate.

The phrase that his current state is “carrying a racket” has circulated online, but his specific daily activities have not been confirmed by authoritative sources. The only confirmed point is that he has not appeared at any CSL or China League One team.

Looking at the status of these two coaches in the context of the entire 2026 CSL season, the issue becomes clearer. Multiple teams started the season with points deducted due to historical wage arrears, and Hainiu's seven-point deduction was among the heaviest. Zhejiang Greentown defeated Yunnan Yukun 6-0 in the same round, setting the season record for the largest single-match margin. Results among mid- and lower-table teams have fluctuated greatly, while even top teams have unstable coaching positions. Taishan's fifth-place ranking looks solid, but pressure from chasing teams is high, and any defeat could push them out of the AFC Champions League zone. At such a stage, the risk of changing coaches itself becomes the biggest obstacle.

What can currently be confirmed is that Shandong Taishan will host Shenzhen Peng City in the 26th CSL round on September 5, while Shanghai Port will host Beijing Guoan in the same round. Taishan need to protect their points advantage in the remaining matches to secure AFC Champions League qualification, and the club has not issued any announcement about a coaching change.

Li Xiaopeng and Li Jinyu are both currently without coaching contracts, and the identity of the third rumored domestic coach has not been revealed by any official source. The coaching change list is filled with names, but no pen has actually been put down.