Dalian Yingbo won the Chinese Super League title after Chengdu Rongcheng lost 3-2 away to Shandong Taishan on the final matchday, their fourth straight defeat. Chengdu had led by 14 points with five rounds to play but ended the campaign without the championship.
The title turnaround
Chengdu Rongcheng had put together a 12-game unbeaten run and carried a 12-point lead into the final four rounds. Dalian Yingbo then won five consecutive games to overtake Chengdu and prevailed on the head-to-head tiebreaker after defeating them twice during the season.
The decisive meeting
Chengdu Rongcheng needed only a draw at home to Dalian Yingbo on the penultimate matchday. After missing a penalty chance to go 1-0 up before half-time, Chengdu failed to convert any of its 12 shot attempts and lost 1-0.
Champions League consequences
Chengdu Rongcheng missed direct qualification for the league phase of the 2027/28 AFC Champions League Elite and will instead play in the group stage of the AFC Champions League 2.
Other league positions
Nine of the 16 Chinese Super League clubs began the season with points deductions. Wuhan Three Towns and Qingdao Hainiu were relegated, while Shanghai Shenhua and defending champions Shanghai Port finished midtable. Former Central Coast Mariners captain Nick Montgomery led Beijing Guoan to third place, Kevin Muscat's Shanghai Port finished fifth and Ross Aloisi's Zheijang Professional finished ninth.
