He Guangzhou FCformerly known as Guangzhou Evergrande in its heyday, has failed to obtain a license allowing it to participate next season in Chinese professional football due to its financial problems, leaving the club on the brink of dissolution. The team explained in a statement published on its official account on the Wechat social network that it did not get enough funds to pay off the “heavy historical debt”, which prevented it from being included in the latest list of professional clubs up to on the date with their payments and thus get permission to participate in the competition.
Guangzhou FC, recalling its “great achievements” in China and Asia, expressed its “sincere apologies” to fans and announced that it will work to “support the development of Chinese football .” Although the two-time winner of the Asian Champions League, in 2013 and 2015, did not formally announce its dissolution in the statement, it was taken for granted by Chinese sports commentators, as the club can only compete in the amateur category next season.
The club, based in the southeastern city of Guangzhou, is trying to secure its place in the second division of Chinese football, where it was relegated in December 2022. This relegation ended a twelve-season stay of team in the Chinese Super League, the top flight, where the club won the title every year from 2011 to 2017 before claiming the trophy in 2019.
In 2022, Guangzhou experienced the departure of five naturalized Brazilian-born Chinese players as part of downsizing policies due to the financial difficulties of its majority shareholder, indebted real estate group China Evergrande.
Prominent players in the football scene have passed through their ranks, such as the Brazilians Robinho and Paulinho, the Colombian Jackson Martínez or the one who was once the highest paid footballer on the planet when he played in the ranks of Chinese team, the Argentine Darío Conca. Also, the team was led by outstanding figures such as the Italian Fabio Cannavaro or the Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari. The last coach of the club was the Spanish Salvador Suay, who currently coaches Chongqing Tonglianglong, also in the second division.
In recent years, many Chinese teams have struggled to continue their activities due to China’s economic slowdown and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. About 30 professional clubs have closed since 2020, disappearing amid charges of corruption, bankruptcy and lack of interest among owners.
At the time of the strongest economic strength, the Chinese championship attracted great figures of good sport, such as the Italian Marcello Lippi and the aforementioned Scolari, both world champions with their national teams, or stars like the Brazilian Óscar and Hulk or the Ivorian Drogba.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
