History
Qingdao Jonoon Football Club started out as Shandong economic and trade commission in 1990 by some retired footballers at the corporation affiliated with Shandong economic and trade commission associated with some workers at Qingdao Municipal Sanatorium. After playing in the Chinese Yi League for three seasons, the club finished as Second Division Champions and won promotion to the Chinese Jia-B League in 1992 - the club's first league title. As required by Chinese Football Association, on 31 December 1993, the club set up a professional system and became the first professional football club in Qingdao. Subsequently the club was renamed to Qingdao Hainiu, which means "The Sea Bulls of Qingdao", originates from the sound of the foghorn in Tuandao Lighthouse.
Qingdao Hainiu finished as the Chinese Jia-B League Champions and won promotion to the Chinese Jia-A League in 1994. In the following season, the club was invited to compete the Tainland Queen's Cup and achieved the third place with 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 lose - the club's first international honour. However, in domestic league the club was relegated to the Division 1B after losing an epic battle against Sichuan Quanxing 2-3. In 1996, the club appointed Wu Hongyue as manager, who led the team to second-place league finish and regained promotion to the Division 1A. Soon after that season, the state-run tobacco producer - Qingdao Yizhong/Etsong Group started to invest the club and added "Yizhong/Etsong" to its name the following year. From 1997 season, the club became a regular member of the top division and was never relegated since then. On November 16, 2002, after beating Liaoning Bird 2-0 in Yizhong Sports Center, the club won its first major trophy: the 2002 Chinese FA Cup.
After eight-year management by Yizhong/Etsong Group, the club was transferred to a privately-owned cable manufacturer - Qingdao Jonoon Group and dropped the long term icon "Hainiu" from its name in December 2004. The club's new owner slashed down the budget greatly, sold up all notable players and assigned the former Jinan taishan's coach Yin Tiesheng as manager, who is famous for his defending style. In the following three seasons, Yin brought Jonoon to stay firmly in the middle position of the league. In 2008, after Yin's assignment as assistant coach of China Olympic team, the club promoted the assistant coach Guo Kanfeng as head coach and retained eighth place in that season. After six-round terrible management in the following season, Guo was sacked by the club and former notable Serbian coach Slobodan Santrač took over as manager. Though finished at thirteenth place, the team played a beautiful attacking soccer style and even the attacking combination was duplicated by the National Team head coach Gao Hongbo. Soon after 2009 season, the club surprisingly sacked Santrač and reassigned Guo as actual head coach, with Dragan Jovanovič assigned as nominal head coach due to Gu's lack of qualification. In 2010, the club endured a horrible season and lost the last match against Hangzhou Greentown 0-1, but surprisingly survived from relegation in the fourteenth place.
Read more about this topic: Qingdao Jonoon F.C.
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“It is remarkable how closely the history of the apple tree is connected with that of man.”
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