Liaoning Hongyun among 11 Chinese football clubs disqualified over finances

Fallen Asian giants Liaoning Hongyun bid farewell to its fans and apologised after getting disqualified from Chinese football because of financial problems. The Chinese Football Association (CFA) threw them out of the professional leagues on Saturday, along with 10 other cash-strapped clubs who owed players wages, and in a subsequent statement the club said it would fold.

Chinese Super League (CSL) club Tianjin Tianhai folded earlier this month and now Liaoning, a traditional powerhouse in China, have similarly dissolved.

Liaoning, based in the northeastern city of Shenyang, were Asian champions in 1990 and dominated Chinese football from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s.

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