Sound bites

"We were a freshman in the Super League last year, and we hoped to learn from the games and catch up with our counterparts. But the situation is different this year. We are playing the leading role in the league and every team is studying us, therefore it will be very hard for us to defend our championship."

South Korean Lee Jang-soo, coach of Guangzhou Evergrande.

"As long as we have a complete team, I don't care much about the competitiveness of our opponents. Some teams brought in a lot of big players, but they can't decide the game by themselves, because soccer is a team sport - a game where 11 play 11."

Brazilian Sergio Farias, coach of Guangzhou R&F.

"This year won't be easy for us because Chinese soccer is not a minnow and a lot of teams have increased their investment. I can see the difficulties ahead of us, but the unpredictability also makes the sport more attractive. As a professional coach, I am also prepared to leave the post at any time if the team doesn't perform well, but I believe our team will work hard for good results."

Japanese Takeshi Okada, coach of Hangzhou Greentown.

"We are in our first year in the top division and our goal is to stay in the Super League, but I believe our team will claim the league championship in three years. The city derby with Dalian Shide will be very interesting for the city and the fans. Objectively speaking, Shide is stronger than us, but we will play our best."

South Korean Chang Woe-ryong, coach of Dalian Aerbin.

"My short-term target is to help the team play nice soccer and get good results in the league, and my long-term target is to make some contribution to the development of Chinese soccer. I hope we will have a pleasant season."

Croatian Josip Kuze, coach of Tianjin Teda.