Suchao, Super League of Jiangsu Photo: VCG

The Jiangsu Football City League stole the spotlight over the weekend as the grassroots football event dominated social media with its fourth-round of competitions, overshadowing the professional Chinese Super League (CSL).

The regional amateur football league, which was launched in May, features 13 teams, each representing a prefecture-level city in Jiangsu. It has rapidly become a cultural and sporting phenomenon affectionately dubbed "Suchao" (Super League of Jiangsu) by fans.

Its popularity has even drawn attention from the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy. It posted a widely circulated video clip on Sina Weibo on Saturday featuring the PLA Navy battleships named after the 13 cities in Jiangsu supporting the tournament. 

The league, which runs until November, features 13 city teams playing a 13-round home and away round-robin. 

The growing fan enthusiasm for the games have even forced the host cities to switch to higher-capacity stadiums to host home matches. For instance, Nanjing is now using the 61,000-capacity Nanjing Olympic Sports Center Stadium to replace the previously used 22,000-capacity Wutaishan Stadium.

Even with low or modest ticket prices, the league has been boosting local restaurants, hotels, and tourism with packages combining match tickets and scenic area tours, generating revenue for host cities. 

Unlike the traditional professional events where league leaders dominate discussion, it is the bottom-placed Changzhou team that has lead the conversation.

The Changzhou team was taking on its Wuxi counterpart, the second from bottom team in the 13-team league, on Sunday. The game, held at the Jiangyin Sports Center Stadium in Wuxi.

After failing to secure even one point after three rounds, Changzhou has been "­downgraded" from the 11-stroke Chinese character chang to a one-stroke character for the team not scoring a goal. The team leader has voiced their ambition to fight and earn back the character strokes one by one.

German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund even posted a video on Chinese social media voicing their support for Changzhou. 

In another milestone, the game between Xuzhou and Zhenjiang on Sunday set a record with 30,823 people in attendance, even more people than the CSL match between Shenzhen Peng City and Shanghai Shenhua that saw 26,358 people attend on Saturday.

Nanjing-based football commentator Xu Yifan shared his insights into the league's sudden rise to fame. 

"The friendly rivalries and banter between cities, both on and off the field, have not only increased the excitement of the matches but have also drawn in a large number of fans," he told the Global Times.

When asked about the league's potential impact on Chinese football, Xu was optimistic. 

"The success of the amateur league could serve as an inspiration for other regions. It demonstrates that by focusing on local culture, enhancing public participation, and ensuring high-quality competitions, football at the community level can thrive," Xu said.

"This, in turn, can contribute to the growth of the overall football ecosystem in China, providing more opportunities for talent discovery and development," he said.