[4] Chen deliberately stayed at Nanjing Yoyo after his loan deal ended, but he had to return to Liaoning due to disagreement over his transfer fee.
[15] On 12 December 2017, Liaoning, who newly relegated to the second tier, appointed Chen as the manager for the second time, signing a three-year contract.
He led Yatai to 4th in their first season back in the Chinese Super league, their highest position in the top division since finishing as runners-up in 2009.
Yatai was rewarded a spot in the 2022 AFC Champions League qualifying stages, which the club later decided to forfeit due to Covid restrictions.
[18] Yatai endured a tough start to the 2024 Chinese Super League season and manager Chen resigned on 17 April as the team sitting bottom of the table after 4 consecutive defeats.