Shandong Taishan

Shandong Taishan is one of China's most successful clubs, with five national titles and eight Chinese Cups. The club had remarkable spells from Brazilians, such as coach Cuca and striker Diego Tardelli.

History

Shandong Taishan, based in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province, was professionalized in 1993, at the beginning of the professional era of Chinese football. For many years it used the name Shandong Luneng Taishan, because of the sponsoring group. In 2021 it became simply Shandong Taishan, following the Chinese Football Association's rule that requires neutral names. The first major moment came in 1999, when the club achieved the double of Jia-A and Chinese Cup. After the creation of the Chinese Super League, Shandong won the championship in 2006, and the Cup again in 2008 and 2010, establishing itself as one of the country's major forces. Brazilians are part of the club's trajectory. Cuca led the team to the Chinese Cup title in 2014, and Diego Tardelli was one of the team's main strikers in the second half of the 2010s. Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini also became an idol. In 2021, under the command of Hao Wei, Shandong achieved another double, with the Super League and the Chinese Cup, and repeated the Cup title in 2022.