Founded in 2009 as Dalian Aerbin F.C. and rebranded to Dalian Professional in 2013 after relocating from Shenyang, the club quickly ascended through the ranks, earning promotion to the CSL in 2012.
Backed by local government support and later by the Real Estate Group, it achieved mid-table stability in China's top flight, with standout seasons including a fifth-place finish in 2014 and qualification for the 2015 AFC Champions League qualifiers.
Known for its passionate fanbase and blue-collar ethos, Dalian Professional symbolized a resurgence for Dalian, a port city with a storied football past—home to earlier successful sides like Dalian Shide, which won two CSL titles in the 1990s and an Asian Club Championship in 2000.
The club's decline mirrored the broader turmoil in Chinese football. Financial irregularities, including unpaid player salaries and tax debts, led to point deductions and mounting pressure.
In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and economic strains, the team was relegated to China League One. Efforts to stabilize faltered, with ownership changes failing to stem the losses.
By late 2020, Dalian Professional withdrew from the league altogether, citing insurmountable financial burdens and the inability to meet operational requirements set by the Chinese Football Association (CFA).
The dissolution was formalized in December 2020, marking the end of an 11-year run and leaving Dalian without a top-tier club for the first time in decades. This collapse contributed to the wave of over 30 professional teams folding in China since 2020 due to insolvency and regulatory crackdowns.
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