Written by Han Bing The new season of the Scottish Premier League is about to begin, with changes in professional players and coaches drawing widespread attention. On one hand, the definition of professional players in the Scottish Premier League has become clearer and stricter; on the other hand, the maximum number of registered professional players has increased from 3 to 4, but they are limited to 2 players on the field simultaneously, and mid-season additions or replacements have been canceled. Additionally, the reputation of coaches for the 13 Scottish Premier League teams has significantly increased compared to last year, with more famous coaches and former national team players joining, further boosting the league's influence.

Professional Players Boost Scottish Premier League's Popularity

In the new season, the number of registered professional players for each Scottish Premier League team has increased to 4. Although registration eligibility and on-field numbers are restricted, it still attracts more skilled professional players compared to last year. Nanjing team's 4 professional players include the most notable one, 24-year-old forward Fernando. This Nanjing-born local striker played for Guangxi Hengchen last year, winning the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards in the Chinese Second Division League. He joined Yunnan Yukun in the Chinese Super League earlier this year and registered for the Scottish Premier League in March. Wang Xijie and Ma Fuyu play for Nanjing City in the Chinese First Division League; goalkeeper Fan Weixiang previously played for Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic and Jiangxi Beidamen, and currently plays for Taian Tiankuang in the Chinese Second Division League.

Among the 4 professional players of Nantong team participating in the opening match, Ye Daochi has 4 years of experience in the Chinese First Division and Super League, becoming Nantong's youngest scorer in the Chinese Super League history in 2024. The other three, Yin Hanlong, Cheng Xin, and Wang Bowen, all play for Nantong Haimen Kediyuan in the Chinese Second Division League. Wang Bowen has overseas experience in Germany's 5th tier league, while Yin Hanlong and Cheng Xin participated in the Scottish Premier League last year.

This season, the Scottish Premier League is also attracting well-known professional players from Jiangsu local origins. Last year, Ji Xiang and Feng Boyuan registered for Nanjing team, while Changzhou team recruited local youth training elite Huang Zichang. This year, Yangzhou-born Ji Xiang and Zhenjiang-born Fang Hao are key targets for enhancing the Scottish Premier League's influence. He Xiaoke, who terminated his contract with Henan team earlier this year, and Song Yue, who plays for Dalian Yingbo, although not local Jiangsu players, are also recruitment targets for this season's Scottish Premier League. He Xiaoke has overseas experience in Spain and has played for Chinese Super League teams like Shandong Taishan, Qingdao West Coast, and Henan team.

Last season, the appearance of professional players like Huang Zichang further boosted the Scottish Premier League's popularity. If the Scottish Premier League successfully recruits these former national team players or professional players with Chinese Super League experience this year, it will elevate each team's strength and popularity to a new level. As Scottish Premier League teams gradually announce their new season squad lists, the names of professional players are the best promotion for the new season.

Coaches Becoming More "Star-Studded"

In the new Scottish Premier League season, besides increasing professional player quotas, the coaches of the 13 teams have also undergone significant changes. Nantong team hired Korean coach Kim Doo-geun, who is also the only foreign coach this season. The 54-year-old Kim Doo-geun participated in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and 1998 World Cup with the Korean national team. He came to China in 2016, coaching Hefei Guiguan and Jiangsu Zhongnan Kediyuan, and served as an assistant coach for Chinese Super League team Hebei in 2021.

Suzhou team invited Chen Wanting, the 2016 AFC Best Women's Coach, to coach. She is the only female coach this season. Chen Wanting is globally the first female coach to win a men's top-tier league championship and the first to participate in men's continental competitions. In 2016, she coached Eastern Sports to win the Hong Kong Premier League championship and participated in the 2017 AFC Champions League. In 2025, she led Jiangsu Wuxi women's football team to the Women's Super League runner-up position and led Jiangsu women's football team to win the Fifteenth National Games championship. This marks her return to coaching a men's football team after 7 years. Last year, female coach Zhou Gaoping led Taizhou team to win the inaugural Scottish Premier League championship; this year, Chen Wanting brings more expectations to Suzhou team.

The new Scottish Premier League season also features many former national team players as coaches. Zhenjiang team's new head coach is 47-year-old Lu Bofei. During his playing career, he won the 2004 Chinese Super League championship with Shenzhen Jianlibao and reached the 2005 AFC Champions League semifinals. Later, he played for Jiangsu Suning for 7 years and served as captain. After retirement, he was an assistant coach for the U19 national team and coached Suzhou Dongwu in 2022. Lianyungang team's new head coach is former national team player Wang Xinxin, who played for Liaoning team and Tianjin Teda. After retirement, he coached Tianjin Teda youth teams, Guizhou Hengfeng, and Guangxi Lanhang. Yancheng team's new head coach Huang Yong is also a former national team player. As a member of the Jianlibao team, he played for Bayi team and Shanghai International. After retirement, he coached Tianjin Songjiang, Jiangxi Liansheng, Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic, etc. Suqian team invited former national team player Zhang Yuning to coach. During his illustrious playing career, Zhang Yuning coached Shenyang Dongjin, Quanzhou Beyond, and Qingdao Huanghai youth teams after retirement.

Nanjing team chose former Nanjing City team head coach Yin Youyou. In 2022, he led Chinese Champions League team Jingchuan Wenhui to eliminate Beijing Guoan in the FA Cup, shocking domestic football. Former Changchun Yatai coach Gao Jinggang assisted Zhou Gaoping last year to lead Taizhou team to win the Scottish Premier League championship and became Taizhou team's head coach this year. Former Meizhou Hakka team head coach Zheng Xiaotian joined Changzhou team as a technical consultant last year and also became head coach this year. Additionally, retained Wuxi team head coach Tang Jing, Yangzhou team's former Suzhou Dongwu head coach Zhu Gufeng, at least 11 Scottish Premier League teams this season are led by coaches who have coached professional teams, making the coaches' reputation and qualifications the top-tier configuration for local city leagues.