Many Chinese Super League players and coaches say they can't wait to get the long-delayed campaign underway after the Chinese Football Association (CFA) officially announced on Wednesday that the season will start on July 25, about five months after its scheduled start was delayed by the pandemic.

The CFA said the top-flight, which was originally due to kick-off in late February, would open with fixtures in the cities of Dalian and Suzhou, and "strictly abide by the requirements of national epidemic prevention work."

Eran Zahavi, the two-time CSL Golden Boot winner from Guangzhou R&F, who also broke the CSL record of the most goals in a single season in 2019, expressed his pleasure. "Finally we got the news that the CSL is coming back," he said. "I wish everyone good luck." 

An added boon for Zahavi is that the game restarts on his thirty-third birthday.

"The 2020 CSL season will start soon, and all of R&F's players are well-prepared to overcome the difficulties. I hope that we can perform well and get a good result at the end of the season," said Cheng Yuelei, Zahavi's teammate, who's also the team's goalkeeper.

Henan Jianye midfielder Tim Chow and Dalian Pro coach Rafael Benitez also expressed their excitement. "We feel very happy," Chow said. "It's great news for everybody." 

Dalian's Spanish coach also said he hopes fans will enjoy the game.