The lights of Qingdao Youth Football Stadium once again illuminated the night sky.
On the evening of May 10th, with 30,532 fans cheering them on, Qingdao Hainiu defeated Dalian Yingbo 3-1, securing their fourth consecutive win—the longest winning streak for a Qingdao team in China’s top-tier league since professionalization.
Few could have predicted such a dramatic turnaround in just a few months. At the start of the season, the team was mired in the relegation zone, facing a “disastrous opening.” After several rounds of poor results, they were widely tipped as relegation favorites. Now, with four straight wins, defeating strong opponents, and climbing the standings, Qingdao Hainiu’s spirit and performance have been completely transformed. This remarkable rise from the bottom has written one of the most dramatic comeback stories of the CSL season, injecting new passion and confidence into the historic football city of Qingdao.
A team’s comeback is never just about changing the scoreline. From early struggles to growing confidence, from carrying the burden alone to being supported by the entire city, Qingdao Hainiu’s transformation is not only a result of tactical innovation by the head coach and the players’ relentless effort but also a testament to the collective force of the government, enterprises, and fans working in unison.
**Overcoming Adversity: Finding a New Path**
The 2026 season began with Qingdao Hainiu facing one of the most difficult starts in their professional history.
The team was penalized with a points deduction before the season even started, putting them at a severe disadvantage and disrupting their morale and preparation. New head coach Milan Ristić took over in a critical moment and immediately signaled a firm reform stance: “Qingdao Hainiu has deep roots and a strong local foundation. We cannot remain trapped in a cycle of simply trying to avoid relegation. We need to find a new path and play the tough, determined football that represents Hainiu and Qingdao.”
Early in his tenure, Milan abandoned the previous tactical framework, replacing the three-center-back system with a more aggressive 4-2-3-1 formation emphasizing high pressing. He also promoted young talents like Li Suda, Jin Yonghao, and Wei Zixuan to starting roles. While the team’s play became more attractive, three consecutive losses forced the coaching staff to quickly reassess and adapt. Milan adjusted his approach, abandoning the energy-draining high press, dropping the defensive line to strengthen coordination and physical duels, and leveraging the strengths of midfielders such as Ewuma and Yeboah to make the tactics simpler and more efficient.
The tactical adjustments paid off immediately. After stabilizing their defense, the team gradually climbed out of the slump, beating three former CSL champions—Shandong Taishan, Shanghai Port, and Wuhan Three Towns—before defeating Dalian Yingbo at home for a fourth straight win. This not only broke a long-standing “curse” of losing to strong opponents but also lifted them completely out of the relegation mire.
More valuable than the tactical upgrade was the comprehensive reshaping of the team’s spirit and internal cohesion. During his tenure, Milan maintained a balanced approach to player selection, boldly giving young players opportunities, allowing them to gain match experience and accelerate their development. At the same time, he respected the value of veteran players, relying on them to stabilize the defense and mentor the younger generation. This created a harmonious environment of healthy competition and unity. “The players performed exceptionally well; they created the club’s longest winning streak in history,” Milan said at the post-match press conference after defeating Dalian Yingbo.
Team captain and goalkeeper Mou Pengfei noted, “The atmosphere within the team has changed significantly since Milan arrived. The team is more dynamic and united. Training requirements are more detailed, tactics are clearer, and communication is more open. Everyone knows their responsibilities, and we are all pulling in the same direction. This cohesion is the most important foundation for our turnaround.”
From three straight losses at the bottom to timely adjustments, tactical restructuring, and then stabilizing mentally and surging to four straight wins, Qingdao Hainiu has achieved a dual transformation in both competitive performance and team spirit. Today’s Hainiu is no longer a weak team fighting for survival; they are a fearless, resilient new force in the CSL that no opponent can afford to underestimate.
**United City: Full Support**
While the battle on the pitch is fought by the players, the foundation for the team’s stability and rise comes from the warm support and comprehensive backing of the entire city. Qingdao Hainiu’s ability to quickly recover from a slump and achieve a winning streak is not only due to the team’s own improvement but also to the full backing of the government, enterprises, and fans, forming a virtuous cycle of “the city loves the team, and the team serves the city.”
As a nationally renowned football city, football has long been integrated into Qingdao’s DNA, becoming an iconic cultural symbol. In 2026, the Qingdao Municipal Sports Bureau work conference clearly prioritized revitalizing football and promoting the construction of a national football development key city as key tasks for the year. This includes continuous efforts in areas such as professional football support, youth training system improvement, match economy cultivation, and football culture promotion, providing solid policy support and top-level guarantees for the stable development of local professional clubs and the revival of the football city.
The sense of responsibility from local enterprises has provided solid material support for Qingdao Hainiu’s steady progress. This season, leading local companies such as Tsingtao Beer, Qingdao Beverage Group, Bank of Qingdao, and Qingdao Rural Commercial Bank have stepped up to sponsor and support their hometown team, addressing the club’s commercial shortcomings. The mutual commitment between local brands and the local team not only demonstrates corporate social responsibility but also provides practical support for Qingdao football, allowing the club to focus on training preparation and youth development without financial worries.
Meanwhile, Hainiu Club has actively embraced the core philosophy of “Same Qingdao, Shared Glory,” deeply integrating its own development with the city’s brand and vitality. This breaks the traditional one-way model of “the club just plays, and the city just supports,” building a new pattern of symbiosis, co-prosperity, and co-growth between the team and the city.
“Hainiu is the football name card of Qingdao. We sincerely hope that Hainiu can bring more honor and pride to the citizens,” said Zhang Dong, general manager of Hainiu Club, on multiple occasions. Over the past 32 years, Hainiu Club has persistently invested in brand building and cultural public welfare, nurturing over 300 football talents for the national, provincial, and municipal levels. They conduct dozens of public welfare activities annually, deeply engaging in football popularization and promotion, benefiting over 500,000 people in total. Since their return to the CSL and moving to Youth Football Stadium in the 2023 season, over 1.1 million spectators have attended matches, directly driving over 500 million yuan in comprehensive consumption around the stadium—including food, accommodation, transportation, tourism, and shopping. The equivalent advertising value for the city has exceeded 600 million yuan, directly or indirectly generating nearly 10,000 jobs.
This season, Qingdao Hainiu has leveraged the city’s development strategy, actively coordinating with the city’s cultural tourism, commercial, transportation, and scenic resources. They launched an exclusive “One Ticket, Multiple Benefits” program, allowing fans to use their match tickets for discounts at Laoshan Scenic Area, Polar Ocean Park, major shopping districts, and various dining and accommodation options. This turns a simple ticket into a “city pass” for experiencing the best of Qingdao.
The implementation of this ticket-based economy has significantly boosted home game attendance, with the stadium consistently near capacity, making Youth Football Stadium one of Qingdao’s most popular landmarks. It has also effectively converted football match traffic into cultural tourism spending, driving weekend, nighttime, and sports consumption, achieving a win-win-win situation: “the club gains popularity, fans get benefits, and the city gains vitality.” Through the continued promotion of this program, Hainiu Club’s influence has extended from the pitch to the entire city, from fan groups to the broader public. Brand recognition and city identity have simultaneously improved, making every home game a key window to showcase Qingdao’s image and unite the city’s spirit, realizing a mutual enhancement of “team success and city glory.”
And the Qingdao fans—the team’s most loyal “12th man”—have never let the stands at Youth Football Stadium grow cold, even during the team’s early struggles and relegation pressure. Fans braved wind and rain to cheer, singing the team anthem and waving flags, conveying their faith and warming the team with their love. As the team’s results improved, more and more fans came to the stadium to support their hometown team, providing the strongest spiritual motivation for the players and building the