Shandong Taishan F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Shandong Taishan Football Club 山东泰山足球俱乐部 |
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| Nickname(s) | Taishan Dui (Chinese: 泰山队; literally "The team of Mount Tai") | ||
| Founded | 10 April 1956 (Semi-professional) 2 December 1993 (Professional) |
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| Ground | Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 56,808 | ||
| Owner | Shandong Luneng Group | ||
| Chairman | Sun Hua | ||
| Head coach | Choi Kang-hee | ||
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| Shandong Taishan F.C. | |||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 山東泰山 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 山东泰山 | ||||||
| Literal meaning | Shandong Mount Tai | ||||||
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The Shandong Taishan Football Club is a professional football team from Jinan, Shandong, China. They play in China's top football league. Their home games are held at the Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium. The club's name, Taishan, comes from the famous Mount Tai in Shandong.
This club is one of only four teams that have never been moved down from China's top football league since it started in 2004. The team began on April 10, 1956, as the Shandong Provincial team. It became a professional club on December 2, 1993.
Shandong Taishan has won many important titles in China. They won their first league title in 1999. They also won league titles in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2021. This makes them one of the most successful football clubs in China!
Contents
Club History
Starting Out (1956-1993)
The club started on April 10, 1956. It was called the Shandong Provincial team. They joined the Chinese football league, which was growing at the time. In their first season in 1957, they were in the second division.
The team also played in the Chinese National Games. In 1965, they finished ninth in that tournament. Football leagues were stopped for a few years because of the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
When the league started again in 1973, Shandong joined the top division. They finished ninth that year. The team kept playing in the Chinese National Games. In 1979, they won the tournament, beating Beijing 3-1 in the final! This success helped the team. They finished second in the league in 1981 and 1982.
However, their good run didn't last. By 1989, they were moved down to a lower division for the first time. The next year, they were moved down again to the third division.
But they didn't stay there long! They won the third division title in 1991 and moved back up. In 1992, the Chinese Football Association decided to make football fully professional. Shandong finished third in their division, which meant they would play in the first professional top league in 1994. On December 2, 1993, the club became fully professional and changed its name to Shandong Taishan Football Club.
Becoming Professional (1994-1997)
Shandong was one of the first teams in the new professional league in 1994. But they soon faced money problems. Players were sometimes paid late. The club couldn't afford to sign foreign players, which most other teams had. Many experienced players also left.
In 1995, the club changed its name to Jinan Taishan Football Club. They still had money problems. But their manager, Yin Tiesheng, gave young players like Li Xiaopeng and Liu Yue a chance. Strikers Su Maozhen and Tang Xiaocheng also became very popular. Shandong even beat the league champions, Shanghai Greenland Shenhua, to win the 1995 Chinese FA Cup!
After this win, a company called Shandong General Tobacco took over the team in 1996. They invested a lot of money. With this new support, the club became financially stable. Su Maozhen became the league's top scorer, and the team reached another cup final in 1996. Even though they lost the final to Beijing Guoan, things were looking up for the team.
First Foreign Coach and League Title (1998-2000)
In 1998, Shandong Electric Power Group Corporation became the main owners. They changed the club's name to Shandong Luneng Football Club. They wanted a new direction for the team. So, they hired the club's first foreign coach, Kim Jung-Nam, from South Korea. Kim had a good reputation for leading South Korea to the World Cup. He wanted the team to play more attacking football.
However, Kim's style didn't bring many wins, and he left later that season. Yin Tiesheng came back to help the team avoid being moved down.
On December 25, 1998, Slobodan Santrač, a coach from Yugoslavia, became the new manager. With new foreign players like goalkeeper Saša Petrović and striker Luis Romero, along with Chinese stars like Su Maozhen and Li Xiaopeng, Shandong surprised everyone. They won their first ever league title on the final day of the 1999 season!
A few days later, they also won the 1999 Chinese FA Cup, beating Dalian Wanda. This meant they won both the league and the cup in the same year! Santrač was named Chinese Coach of the Year.
In 2000, the team struggled to defend their title. Santrač left the team, and a youth coach took over for a short time.
New Managers and Challenges (2001-2012)
In 2001, the club hired a Russian coach, Boris Ignatiev. They had high hopes, but the team started badly. They also had some big losses in the Asian Club Championship, which affected their confidence. Later, new players like Nii Lamptey helped the team finish the season strongly.
Another Russian coach, Valeri Nepomniachi, took over in 2001. The team improved and finished 4th in 2002. But in 2003, they struggled and almost got moved down.
In 2004, Ljubiša Tumbaković became the new head coach. With new players like Li Jinyu and Zheng Zhi, Shandong won the 2004 Chinese FA Cup. In 2005, they reached the quarter-finals of the 2005 AFC Champions League, but lost badly.
In 2006, Tumbaković led the team to an amazing season. They won the league title easily, setting new records for points and goals! Zheng Zhi won the best player award, and Li Jinyu was the top scorer. After this, Zheng Zhi moved to an English club.
Without Zheng Zhi, Shandong struggled in the 2007 AFC Champions League and couldn't defend their league title. But in 2008, Tumbaković led them to another league title on the very last day of the season!
In 2009, a key player, Zhou Haibin, left the team. This made their preparation difficult. They were knocked out of the 2009 AFC Champions League early. Their league form also suffered, and Tumbaković left the club.
In 2009, Branko Ivanković became the new coach. In 2010, even though they were knocked out of the 2010 AFC Champions League again, Shandong recovered and won the league title!
The 2011 season started with a serious injury to a young player, Zhang Chi. This affected the team, and Ivanković resigned. The team reached the 2011 Chinese FA Cup final but lost.
In 2012, Dutch coach Henk ten Cate took over. He tried to use more young players, but the team struggled. They were close to being moved down and were knocked out of the FA Cup. Henk ten Cate resigned, and a Chinese coach took over.
Recent Years (2013-Present)
In 2013, Radomir Antić became the coach. The team finished second in the league. In 2014, Brazilian coach Cuca became the new manager. His team won the 2014 Chinese FA Cup in a very exciting final! This meant they could play in the Champions League again.
In 2015, Cuca's team didn't get past the group stage in the Champions League. But they finished third in the domestic league, which gave them another chance to qualify for the Champions League.
In December 2015, Mano Menezes, a former coach of the Brazil national team, became the new head coach. In April 2016, Shandong reached the knockout stage of the 2016 AFC Champions League for the first time in 11 years! They even reached the quarter-finals. However, because of bad results in the league, Menezes resigned. Felix Magath was appointed the next day.
In 2017, Li Xiaopeng became the new manager. He led the club to several good seasons. They finished third in the league in 2018. They also reached two Chinese FA Cup finals, winning in 2020 and finishing second in 2019.
After Li Xiaopeng, Hao Wei became the manager in 2020. The team won the Chinese Super League in 2021. They also won the FA Cup in 2020, 2021, and 2022! This was the 8th time Taishan won the FA Cup, showing how strong they are in cup competitions.
In May 2023, Choi Kang-hee became the team's new coach. In 2023, the team finished second in both the league and the cup. They also did well in the AFC Champions League, getting past the group stage. In 2024, the team is ranked 5th in the Super League and finished second in the CFA Cup.
Team Kits
When the club became professional in 1994, they started getting sponsors.
- Adidas made their kits from 1994 to 2001.
- Then, Mizuno took over from 2002 to 2004.
- Since 2005, Nike has been providing the team's kits. In 2011, Nike signed a big 10-year deal to provide all the uniforms for the entire Chinese Super League.
Crest History
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Shandong Taishan logo used between 1993 and 1994
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Shandong Taishan logo used in 1995
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Shandong Taishan logo used in 1996
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Shandong Taishan logo used in 1997
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Shandong Taishan logo used between 1998 and 2021
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Shandong Taishan logo used since 2022
Partner Clubs
Shandong Taishan has partner clubs around the world. These partnerships help them share ideas and develop players.
Júbilo Iwata (since 2005)
Adelaide United (since 2008)
São Paulo (since 2013)
Current Team Players
Main Team Squad
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Reserve Team Squad
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Players on Loan
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Retired Numbers
The number 12 has been retired by the club. This is to honor the club's amazing supporters, who are often called the "12th Man" because they cheer so loudly!
Coaching Staff
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
 Choi Kang-hee |
Head coach |
Kim Hyun-Min Choi Deok-Ju Xu Haipeng |
Assistant coach |
| Lucas Cerqueira |
Goalkeeping coach |
| Zhang Haitao |
Technique coach |
| Huyi Wen |
Fitness coach |
| Tian Tang |
Athletic coach |
| Gao Jianguo Zhao Hongyan |
Club Doctor |
 Sandro Juricic |
Physiotherapist |
| Jin Hexuan Meng Cai |
Interpreter |
| Chen Yong |
Team manager |
Source:
Club Achievements
League Titles
- Chinese Super League:
- Winners (4): 2006, 2008, 2010, 2021
- Chinese Jia-A League (This was the top league before 2004):
- Winners: 1999
Cup Wins
- Chinese FA Cup:
- Winners (8): 1995, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2014, 2020, 2021, 2022
- Chinese Super League Cup
- Winners: 2004
- Chinese FA Super Cup
- Winners: 2015
Youth and Reserve Team Success
Shandong Taishan also has very successful youth and reserve teams, showing they are good at developing future stars!
- Chinese Super League Reserve League Champions: 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
- Coca-Cola Olympic League Champions: 2000, 2001
- National U19 Youth League Champions: 2009
- National U17 Youth League Champions: 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010
- National U15 Youth League Champions: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2013
Club Ranking
Shandong Taishan is a highly-ranked football club, not just in China, but also in Asia and worldwide!
World Ranking
| Ranking | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 156 |  The Strongest |
507.17 |
| 157 |  AS FAR |
506.31 |
| 158 | Shandong Taishan F.C. |
505.87 |
| 159 |  Besiktas JK |
503.32 |
| 160 |  FC Viktoria Plzen |
501.88 |
AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Ranking
| Ranking | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 13 |  Al Ittihad Club |
572.46 |
| 14 |  Sharjah FC |
540.02 |
| 15 | Shandong Taishan F.C. |
505.87 |
| 16 | Al Shabab FC (Riyadh) |
488.19 |
| 17 |  Pakhtakor Tashkent FK |
480.24 |
Domestic (China) Ranking
| Ranking | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shandong Taishan F.C. |
505.87 |
| 2 | Shanghai Port F.C. |
399.79 |
| 3 | Guangzhou F.C. |
364.92 |
| 4 | Beijing Guoan F.C. |
344.94 |
| 5 | Shanghai Shenhua FC |
240.72 |
Famous Players
Many talented players have played for Shandong Taishan. Here are some of the notable ones who have also played for their country's national teams:
From China
- Cui Peng
- Deng Zhuoxiang
- Du Wei
- Han Peng
- Hao Junmin
- Li Jinyu
- Li Xiaopeng
- Liu Binbin
- Liu Yang
- Su Maozhen
- Wang Dalei
- Wang Yongpo
- Yang Xu
- Zheng Zheng
- Zheng Zhi
- Zhou Haibin
From Other Countries
- Ryan McGowan (Australia)
Roda Antar (Lebanon)- Son Jun-ho (South Korea)
Nii Lamptey (Ghana)
Papiss Cissé (Senegal)
Julio César de León (Honduras)
Walter Montillo (Argentina)- Gil (Brazil)
- Vágner Love (Brazil)
- Diego Tardelli (Brazil)
José Ortigoza (Paraguay)
Marouane Fellaini (Belgium)
Graziano Pellè (Italy)
Images for kids
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Li Jinyu playing for Shandong Luneng
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Shandong Luneng playing against Palmeiras in 2015
See also
In Spanish: Shandong Taishan para niños
