THE Chinese Super League (CSL) secured a title sponsor on the eve of the new season for the second year in a row when Shenzhen brewers Kingway agreed a deal, Chinese media reported Friday.

The State-owned company sponsored the Shenzhen CSL team last season and replaced British Internet phone company Iphox, which signed an eight-year deal just before last season but withdrew after failing to get its products licensed in China.

State television CCTV said the deal was worth 36-38 million yuan (US$4.65-4.91 million) to the troubled league.

German electronics company Siemens was the title sponsor of the first CSL season in 2004 but pulled out when the league became mired in a series of match-fixing scandals.

The 2007 season kicked off Saturday, with Beijing Guo’an’s match against the product of the merger between Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai United the highlight of the weekend. Guo’an beat Shenhua 2-0.

Shenzhen’s CSL team, whose’s aim was to keep its place in the league after losing many big name players, tied Shaanxi Baorong 0-0 at home Saturday.

The local team was renamed as Shangqingyin after Kingway withdrew and a Guangzhou-based company became the new title sponsor.

(SD-Agencies)