Beijing Guoan F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Beijing Guoan Football Club 北京国安足球俱乐部 |
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| Nickname(s) | 御林军 (The Imperial Guards) |
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| Founded | 29 December 1992 | ||
| Ground | Workers' Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 68,000 | ||
| Owner |
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| Chairman | Zhou Jinhui | ||
| Manager | Ricardo Soares | ||
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| Beijing Guoan | |||||||||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 北京国安 | ||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 北京國安 | ||||||||||||
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Beijing Guoan Football Club (Chinese: 北京国安足球俱乐部; pinyin: Běijīng Guó'ān Zúqiú Jùlèbù), also known as Beijing FC, is a professional football team from Beijing, China. They play in the top Chinese football league. Their home games are held at the Workers' Stadium in Chaoyang District.
Beijing Guoan is one of only four clubs that have always stayed in China's top football league since the Chinese Super League started in 2004. The club was officially formed on December 29, 1992, becoming one of the first professional football teams in China. Before that, they were known as the Beijing Football Club.
Over the years, Beijing Guoan has won many titles. They won their first professional league title in 2009. They have also won the Chinese FA Cup several times, in 1996, 1997, 2003, and 2018.
Contents
Club History: From Past to Present
Early Days: Before 1992
The club's story began in 1951. The local government in Beijing wanted to create a football team for China's first national league. They picked the best players from Beijing and Tianjin to form the "North China" team. This team finished fourth in their first season.
In 1955, the Beijing players formed their own team, called Beijing Football Club. They started playing in 1956. Interestingly, their youth team, Beijing Youth B, actually won the league title that year! The main Beijing team became very strong, winning league titles in 1957 and 1958.
Beijing was a key team for the Chinese national team, often sending many players. Sometimes, the youth team even played in the main league, showing how strong Beijing football was. Football stopped for a while in China during the Cultural Revolution in 1966.
When football returned, Beijing won the league title again in 1973. They continued to be strong, winning more league titles in 1982 and 1984, and the Chinese FA Cup in 1985. However, they were relegated to the second division in 1988. But they quickly bounced back, winning the second division title in 1990 and getting promoted. In total, before becoming fully professional, Beijing won the league title five times.
Becoming Professional: 1992-1999
On December 29, 1992, Beijing Guoan was officially formed as a professional club. This was part of a big change to make Chinese football more professional. The club was started by CITIC Guoan and the Beijing Municipal Sports Committee. They joined the new professional league in 1994 and changed their home kit color to green.
In their first professional season, they finished eighth. But things quickly improved! In 1995, they finished second in the league. The next year, they won their first professional trophy, the 1996 Chinese FA Cup. They won the FA Cup again in 1997. Their coach, Jin Zhiyang, then left to coach the national team.
New Influences: 2000-2009
In the 2000s, Beijing Guoan started bringing in foreign coaches. They also signed a sponsorship deal with the South Korean company Beijing Hyundai, even changing their name to Beijing Hyundai for a few years.
In 2007, South Korean coach Lee Jang-soo joined the team and led them to second place in the league. In 2009, the team returned to the Workers Stadium after it was renovated for the 2008 Olympics. Under Lee Jang-soo, they were close to winning their first professional league title. Even after a tough loss, a new coach, Hong Yuanshuo, led them to a big 4-0 win on the last day of the season, securing the 2009 league championship!
Recent Times: 2017-Present
In 2017, Sinobo Group became the main owner of the club. The club's name changed to Beijing Sinobo Guoan for a few years, before returning to Beijing Guoan in 2021.
Who Owns the Club?
Beijing Guoan was first started by CITIC Guoan Group. Over time, the ownership changed. In 2017, a real estate company called Sinobo Group became the main owner, holding most of the club's shares. This made them the biggest shareholder.
Club Names Through the Years
The club has had several names since it started:
- 1956: Beijing Physical Education Normal University
- 1957–1960: Beijing
- 1961–1964: Beijing Youth
- 1965–1990: Beijing
- 1991: Beijing Shenzhou
- 1992: Beijing
- 1993–2002: Beijing Guoan
- 2003–2005: Beijing Hyundai
- 2006–2015: Beijing Guoan
- 2016: Beijing Guoan LeEco
- 2017–2021: Beijing Sinobo Guoan
- 2021–: Beijing Guoan
Where They Play: Stadiums
Beijing Guoan has played in several stadiums over the years:
- Xiannongtan Stadium (1994–1995)
- Workers' Stadium (1996–2005, 2009–2019)
- Beijing Fengtai Stadium (2006–2008)
- Rizhao International Football Center in Rizhao, Shandong (2022)
- Workers' Stadium (2023–present)
Team Kits
Beijing Guoan has had different kit suppliers and shirt sponsors over the years. Since 2011, all clubs in the Chinese Super League have worn Nike kits.
Big Rivalries
Beijing Guoan has some exciting rivalries with other teams.
Jing-Hu Derby
Their biggest and oldest rivalry is against Shanghai Shenhua. This match is called the Jing-Hu derby. It's like a competition between Beijing, the capital city, and Shanghai, a major business city, to see which is more important.
Both clubs have a long history of success. In 1997, Beijing Guoan famously beat Shanghai Shenhua 9–1 at the Workers' Stadium. This was Beijing's biggest win ever and Shanghai's biggest loss! Soon after, Beijing also beat Shanghai in the 1997 FA Cup final. Beijing Guoan has a great record against Shanghai Shenhua at their home stadium, with twelve straight wins between 2010 and 2024.
Jing-Jin Derby
Another big rivalry is the Jing-Jin derby against Tianjin Jinmen Tiger. Both teams started from the same "North China" team before splitting off. They have often played in the top league, leading to intense matches and a strong rivalry between their fans.
Team Players: Current Squad
First Team
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Retired Numbers
Some jersey numbers are retired by the club to honor special players or groups:
- 12 – retired in 2016 for the club's amazing supporters.
- 13 – retired for club legend, Xu Yunlong.
Club Leaders and Staff
The club has many people working behind the scenes to make it successful, from the chairman to the coaches and youth training staff.
Senior Club Officials
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Chairman |  Zhou Jinhui |
| Director & general manager | Li Ming |
| Director | Zhu Jialin |
| Director | Wu Ning |
| Director | Tang Zhenyi |
| Director | Liu Xin |
| Director | Sun Peng |
| Deputy general manager | Gao Chao |
| Deputy general manager | Zhang Sihua |
| Deputy general manager | Pan Yegang |
| Youth Training Director |  Patrick Ladru |
| Youth Training Development Director | Wei Kexing |
| Youth Training Executive Director | Paul Van Lith |
| Deputy Youth Training Development Director | Yang Pu |
| chief financial officer | Li Ping |
| Chief Commercial Officer | Xu Yunlong |
| Head of Training Department | Lü Jun |
| Corporate Communication Director | Cao Xiao |
| Manager of Cooperative Youth Training Schools | Zhang Xinxin |
Coaching Staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Ricardo Soares |
| Assistant manager | Maurício Vaz Raúl Faria |
| First-team coach | Sui Dongliang Tao Wei |
| Goalkeeping coach |  José Jober Lima He Zhengyuan |
| Team physician | Wang Kai |
| Team physician | Zhang Zhiguo |
| Fitness coach |  Dudley Hitchman |
| Team leader | Fu Bin |
| Analyst | Cheng Jun |
| Kit manager | Kang Yuming |
| Interpreter | Jiang Xiaojun |
| Interpreter | Fu Hao |
| U-19 team head coach | Le Beisi |
| U-17 team head coach | Sun Wenguang |
| U-15 team head coach | Cui Lizhi |
| U-14 team head coach | Fan Yukui |
| U-13 team head coach | Xiao Yiyang |
Manager History
Many different managers have led Beijing Guoan throughout its history. Here are some of them:
| Name | Coaching period |
|---|---|
| Xue Jizhu |
1956 |
| Chen Chengda |
1957–1958 |
| Shi Wanchun |
1959–1972 |
| Zeng Xuelin |
1973–1982 |
| Sun Yunshan |
1983–1985 |
| Jin Zhiyang |
1986 |
| Cheng Wenkuan |
1987 |
| Tang Pengju |
1988–1994 |
| Jin Zhiyang |
1995–1998 |
| Shen Xiangfu |
1998–1999 |
 Milovan Đorić |
1999–2000 |
| Wei Kexing |
2000–2002 |
| Ljupko Petrović |
2002 |
| Jose Carlos de Oliveira |
2002–2003 |
| Ljupko Petrović |
2003 |
| Wei Kexing |
2003–2004 |
| Shen Xiangfu |
2005–2006 |
 Lee Jang-soo |
2006–2009 |
| Hong Yuanshuo |
2009–2010 |
| Wei Kexing |
2010 (caretaker) |
| Jaime Pacheco |
2010–2012 |
 Aleksandar Stanojević |
2012–2013 |
| Xie Feng |
2014 (caretaker) |
 Gregorio Manzano |
2014–2015 |
 Alberto Zaccheroni |
2016 |
| Xie Feng |
2016 (caretaker) |
| José González |
2016–2017 |
| Xie Feng |
2017 (caretaker) |
 Roger Schmidt |
2017–2019 |
 Bruno Génésio |
2019–2020 |
 Slaven Bilić |
2021 |
| Xie Feng |
2022 |
| Sui Dongliang |
2022 (caretaker) |
| Stanley Menzo |
2022–2023 |
| Ricardo Soares |
2023– |
Team Captains
The team captain is a very important player who leads the team on the field. Here are some of Beijing Guoan's captains:
| Captain | Birth year | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Wei Kexing |
1963 | 1994 |
| Cao Xiandong |
1968 | 1995–1997 |
| Zhou Ning |
1974 | 1998 |
| Xie Zhaoyang |
1972 | 1999–2003 |
| Tao Wei |
1978 | 2004–2008 |
| Yang Pu |
1978 | 2007–2008 |
| Xu Yunlong |
1979 | 2008–2016 |
| Zhang Yonghai |
1979 | 2009 |
| Yang Zhi |
1983 | 2017 |
| Yu Dabao |
1988 | 2018– |
Club Achievements
Team Trophies
Beijing Guoan has won many important competitions, including both professional and earlier semi-professional titles:
- Winners: 2009
- Runners-up (finished second): 2007, 2011, 2014, 2019
Chinese Jia-A League (Older top league)
- Winners (5): 1957, 1958, 1973, 1982, 1984
Chinese FA Cup
- Winners (5): 1985, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2018 (a record!)
Chinese FA Super Cup
- Winners (2): 1997, 2003
Individual Awards
Some players and coaches from Beijing Guoan have also won special awards:
| Player | Honour | Season |
|---|---|---|
 Jorge Luis Campos |
Player of the Year | 1997 |
| Branko Jelić |
Player of the Year | 2005 |
| Branko Jelić |
Chinese Super League Top Scorer | 2005 |
| Gregorio Manzano |
Chinese Football Association Coach of the Year | 2014 |
 Cédric Bakambu |
Chinese Super League Top Scorer | 2020 |
Club Records
Biggest Wins
- Biggest win ever: 9–1 against Shanghai Shenhua (July 20, 1997 – Jia-A League), and 8–0 against New Radiant (August 29, 1997 – Asian Cup Winners Cup)
- Biggest home win: 9–1 against Shanghai Shenhua (July 20, 1997 – Jia-A League)
- Biggest away win: 8–0 against New Radiant (August 29, 1997 – Asian Cup Winners Cup)
- Biggest away league win: 6–1 against Shandong Luneng (August 8, 2007 – Chinese Super League)
Biggest Defeats
- Biggest defeat ever: 0–7 against Kawasaki Frontale (June 29, 2021 – AFC Champions League)
- Biggest home defeat: 0–4 against Changchun Yatai (September 29, 2012 – Chinese Super League)
- Biggest away defeat: 0–5 against Guangzhou City (December 19, 2021 – Chinese Super League), 0–5 against Shandong Luneng (June 2, 2004 – FA Cup), and 0–5 against Suwon Samsung Bluewings (April 10, 1998 – Asian Cup Winners Cup)
Streaks
- Longest winning streak in the league: 10 games (from March 1, 2019 to May 17, 2019)
- Longest unbeaten streak in the league: 18 games (twice!)
- Longest unbeaten streak at home in the league: 29 games (from September 29, 1996 to April 4, 1999)
Images for kids
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Beijing Guoan logo used between 1992 and 1994
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Beijing Guoan logo used between 1996 and 2001
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Beijing Guoan supporters at a Chinese Super League match in June 2009
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Beijing Guoan logo used between 2002 and 2021
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Beijing Guoan before a Chinese Super League match in August 2018
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Beijing Guoan players after a Chinese Super League match in July 2023
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Workers' Stadium, a stadium rebuilt on the site of the original Workers' Stadium and home ground of Beijing Guoan since 2023
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1995–1996 Kits
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2002–2003 Kits
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Tifo of a roaring lion in the Jing-Hu derby between Beijing Guoan and Shanghai Shenhua at the Workers' Stadium
See also
In Spanish: Beijing Guoan para niños
- Beijing Guoan Talent Singapore
