Unsustainable! Sponsorship fees only in five digits, projected loss of 8 million over two years, Wenzhou's sole professional football team issues a "plea for help"

Reported by journalist Wang Wei In the second round match of the Southern Zone of China League Two on April 4th, Wenzhou FC conceded a goal in the third minute of stoppage time, ultimately drawing 1-1 away against Wuhan Sanzhen B Team. Starting the League Two season with one draw and one loss, they temporarily rank second from bottom in the Southern Zone. However, more severe than their ranking is the operational difficulties Wenzhou FC currently faces. The sponsorship funds secured this year so far amount only to five digits—in its second year after relocation, Wenzhou FC encounters a survival crisis.

In early 2024, the Chinese Football Association permitted the relocation of professional football clubs. In early 2025, the China League Two club Jiangxi Black Horse Youth relocated to the economically developed city of Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, renaming the team Wenzhou FC, becoming Wenzhou's sole professional football club, filling the gap of 14 years without a professional football team in Wenzhou. However, due to the high operational costs of professional football, Wenzhou FC has faced a survival crisis over the two years since its relocation.

In the 2025 season, Wenzhou Professional Football Club first represented Wenzhou in the China League Two. Despite a short winter training period and insufficient磨合, they successfully completed the relegation avoidance task and gradually formed a stable tactical system. Their performance significantly improved in the latter half of the season, preserving the core competitive platform for Wenzhou professional football. From the 15 League Two home matches throughout 2025, Wenzhou FC's average attendance steadily ranked among the top in the league. Key indicators such as home match attendance and social media engagement reached historical highs for Wenzhou professional football, effectively boosting the local football culture atmosphere and enhancing Wenzhou's city sports influence.

However, in terms of operations, the club's situation is not optimistic.After relocating from Jiangxi to Wenzhou, Zhejiang in early 2025, the expenses for hosting home matches of Wenzhou FC were funded by the Wenzhou Sports Bureau, while team accommodation and training facilities were supported by the Ouhai District Government of Wenzhou. Wenzhou Professional Football Club calculated the operational situation for the 2025 season; even with these two government supports, the club's loss still reached approximately 3 million yuan, with a relatively large actual operational funding gap.

It is understood that throughout the 2025 season, Wenzhou Professional Football Club's income主要集中在几个方面: first, a reward of 3 million yuan from the Wenzhou Sports Bureau based on league performance; naming rights and commercial sponsorships around 1.3 million yuan; including limited ticket revenue. On the支出 side, including salaries and bonuses for coaches and players, away match travel expenses, local dining in Wenzhou, team bus transportation, office expenses, etc., the total amounted to approximately 7.5 million yuan.

Entering 2026, in Wenzhou FC's budget planning for the new season, the total planned investment this year is 8.65 million yuan. So far, secured income includes only a five-digit sponsorship fee, player transfer income, and ticket revenue of 100,000 yuan (ticket prices have been reduced from last year's average of 68 yuan to 18.8 yuan to attract fans). Regarding government support, based on the team's league ranking, the relegation avoidance bonus will be at the level of 2 to 3 million yuan.

This means that even if Wenzhou FC can avoid relegation this season, after deducting the government-provided material support and bonuses, the club's own operational loss for 2026 is projected to exceed 5 million yuan. That is, after moving to Wenzhou, Wenzhou FC's projected loss over two years will be around 8 million yuan.

The survival crisis faced by Wenzhou FC mainly stems from several aspects. First is the club's weak self-sustainability capability. From Wenzhou FC's income structure, the club's sponsorship + ticket revenue in the 2025 season was less than 1.5 million yuan; for the 2026 season, sponsorship income so far is only five digits, and ticket revenue is expected to further decline due to price reductions. Sponsorship income mainly relies on a few enterprises brought by股东 personal connections, lacking stable long-term support from local leading enterprises.

On the other hand, the控股方实力不足. Currently, Wenzhou FC's控股方 is a Shenzhen company whose main business is sports经纪. This company took over the original Jiangxi Black Horse Youth club in 2022. From the practical operation of running a professional football club, it lacks a strong industrial background and continuous capital injection capability. After the team moved to Wenzhou in the 2025 season, the控股方 has borne nearly 3 million yuan in losses; the over 8 million yuan investment for the 2026 season presents巨大压力, making it difficult to continue supporting alone.

Although at the end of 2025, a local Wenzhou entrepreneur personally入股, due to a relatively small shareholding, it难以解决俱乐部可持续发展的根本问题.同时, these two股东 face pressure from their respective families due to continuous investment losses, and this season's budget恐无法保障投入. If the club experiences拖欠工资 or debts this season, it will lead to serious consequences, potentially causing team relegation or club closure.

Under immense operational pressure, Wenzhou FC has reached a state where it难以继续维系. To ensure the sustainable operation of Wenzhou Professional Football Club and preserve Wenzhou's sole professional football spark, Wenzhou FC,借鉴中超浙江职业足球俱乐部等国内职业足球俱乐部股改的成功经验, has issued a plea letter恳请温州市政府尽快进行协调支持.

It is understood that in the plea letter, Wenzhou Professional Football Club首先恳请温州市政府协调本土有实力企业接手俱乐部. They recommend local enterprises with实力 and意愿, such as Wenzhou本地龙头企业,上市公司等, to engage with the club to discuss股权转让 or增资扩股事宜.The原控股方承诺 that if suitable enterprises接手, they can有条件无偿转让股份, cooperate to complete club股改, achieving俱乐部本土化,健康化运营.

Secondly, they呼吁支持温州职业足球俱乐部对接温州本地产业资源,建议由温州市政府牵头,推动温州FC与温州本地旅游业,制造业,商贸服务业等优势产业企业建立战略合作,拓展冠名,赞助,商务开发等商业渠道,提升俱乐部的自我造血能力.

The third aspect is恳请温州市政府协调相关部门,继续给予必要政策扶持, in training base construction, youth training system配套,赛事组织补贴等方面继续给予支持, helping Wenzhou Professional Football Club降低运营成本, creating better conditions for引入新投资方.

A relevant负责人 of Wenzhou Professional Football Club stated that they恳请温州市有关方面予以重视和支持. "Wenzhou professional football is not just a team; it is an important载体 of Wenzhou's city image and football culture. In 2025, Wenzhou锚定‘全国足球发展重点城市’目标, achieving multiple breakthroughs in football development. Preserving this professional football team is significant for Wenzhou's construction as a football重点城市 and enhancing city influence."