BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Hebei FC, beset by the financial crisis, have seen an exodus of players before the 2022 Chinese Super League (CSL) season starts.
According to a statement released by the Hebei side on Friday, a total of 23 first-team players have left the Langfang-based club, either by mutual consent and free transfer or on loan.
"Your departure might signal not only the end of an era but also the beginning of a new era where young players will play the leading role in fighting for Hebei," the club said in the statement.
Hebei FC, which once shelled out for Javier Mascherano and Ezequiel Lavezzi, will operate in the new season on a low budget, reportedly reduced from over one billion RMB (157 million U.S. dollars) to one hundred million RMB (15.70 million U.S. dollars).
The cash-strapped club managed to complete the last season and staved off relegation amid bankruptcy fears.
It suspended the training of four of its youth teams in order to save money in late October.
Some of its employees offered to work for the club without wages after being furloughed since October. ■
