Guangzhou F.C. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Guangzhou

Full name	Guangzhou Football Club
Nickname(s)	South China Tigers (华南虎)
Founded	June 1954; 70 years ago (1954-06)
Ground	Huadu Stadium
Ground Capacity	13,394
Chairman	Xu Jiayin
Head coach	Salva Suay
League	China League One
2023	China League One, 12th of 16
Home colours Away colours

Guangzhou Football Club (simplified Chinese: 广州足球俱乐部; traditional Chinese: 廣州足球俱樂部; pinyin: Guǎngzhōu Zúqiú Jùlèbù), previously Guangzhou Evergrande (simplified Chinese: 广州恒大; traditional Chinese: 廣州恆大; pinyin: Guǎngzhōu Héngdà), is a Chinese professional football club based in Guangzhou, Guangdong, that competes in China League One, the second tier of Chinese football. Guangzhou plays its home matches at the Huadu Stadium, located within Huadu District. The club's majority shareholders are the now bankrupt Evergrande Real Estate Group (56.71%) and the e-commerce company Alibaba Group (37.81%), while the rest of the shares are traded in the Chinese OTC system.

The club was founded in 1954, and won several second tier titles before turning professional in 1993. Their results improved, leading to a runners-up spot in China's top tier. Unable to improve upon these results, the club went through a period of stagnation and decline before they experienced a brief revival, when they won the 2007 second division. In 2009, the club was embroiled in a match-fixing scandal and was subsequently relegated. In 2010, the Evergrande Real Estate Group decided to purchase the club and pumped significant funds into the team. They immediately won promotion and gained their first top tier title in the 2011 season. Guangzhou are the most successful Chinese football club in continental competitions, winning the AFC Champions League twice, in 2013 and 2015, and participating in the FIFA Club World Cup in both years as a result. Between 2011 and 2017, Guangzhou won seven consecutive Chinese Super League titles, and after winning another Chinese Super League title in 2019, the club were relegated after the 2022 season amid financial difficulties.

According to a Forbes report from 2016, the team was valued at US$282 million, the highest out of all Chinese football teams, with a reported operating loss of over US$200 million in 2015.

History

Early history

In June 1954, the local Guangzhou sports body founded Guangzhou Football Team to take part in the newly formed Chinese national football league. They entered the club in the 1955 league season and named Luo Dizhi as their first manager. He guided them to an eighth spot finish in their debut campaign. The league had grown to incorporate a second tier and their debut season performance final standing relegated them to the second division. Guangzhou won the division championship, however the Chinese Football Association decided to restructure the league at the beginning of the 1957 season and Guangzhou were denied promotion. Despite this, Luo Rongman managed the team to win the 1958 second division title; however, the club were unable to gain promotion because this time they went into receivership. They were not re-established until April 1961 and were allowed to take part in the top tier. Back within the top division Guangzhou often struggled within the league and were again relegated to the second tier at the end of the 1963 league season. They remained there until 1966 when the Cultural Revolution halted football in China.

Back-to-back promotions and sponsorship deal

When the Chinese football league restarted, Guangzhou took the unusual step of abstaining from the competition and instead on 26 October 1977 brought Luo Rongman to manage their youth team. The team played within the National Youth League until 1980 when it was decided that they were mature enough to play in the senior football league pyramid. They started in the recently established third division. The club's youth team development immediately paid off and players such as Mai Chao, Zhao Dayu and later Wu Qunli all rapidly rose into Chinese international footballers. Guangzhou gained successive promotions until they reached the top tier. At the end of the 1982 league season Guangzhou were relegated again. They returned to the top division at the end of the 1984 season via the Chinese FA Cup. Guangzhou also became the first Chinese team to gain sponsorship when the Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical Factory signed a $200,000 annual deal with the club.

Domestic domination and international success

Guangzhou logo used in 2010

During the 2011 season, Guangzhou Evergrande further strengthened its squad with the purchase of Argentinean Dario Conca and Brazilian Cléo. Although the team was promoted to the Super League in the first year, they clinched the league title in late September 2011 although there were four games yet to play. In March 2012, Guangzhou played and won their first-ever AFC Champions League match, defeating South Korean champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 5–1. In addition, Paraguayan Lucas Barrios left the German champions Borussia Dortmund in summer 2012 to join Guangzhou Evergrande. Marcello Lippi replaced Lee Jang-soo as the head coach and brought in South Korean defender Kim Young-gwon and Chinese midfielder Huang Bowen. Guangzhou was knocked out of the 2012 AFC Champions League when they lost 5–4 on aggregate to Al-Ittihad in the quarter-finals. They became the first Chinese side to reach the quarter-finals since 2006. During the 2012 season, Guangzhou won the league for the second time in a row, becoming the first team in China to win the Super League title twice in a row, while also securing the Chinese FA Cup to become double winners for 2012.

In the 2013 season, Guangzhou Evergrande strengthened their squad by signing Chinese goalkeeper Zeng Cheng and Brazilian Elkeson. This proved to be beneficial to Guangzhou as they became the first team in China to win the Super League three times in a row. The club also won the 2013 AFC Champions League by defeating FC Seoul in the final on the away goals rule, after drawing 2–2 in the first leg in Seoul and 1–1 in the second leg in Guangzhou, becoming the first Chinese side to win the tournament since 1990. By winning the AFC Champions League, Guangzhou was assured a place in the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup, entering in the quarter-finals, beating the African champions Al-Ahly 2–0. In the semi-finals, they were defeated by the European champions Bayern Munich 3–0. In the third place match, the club lost against the South American champions Atlético Mineiro 3–2 and finished in fourth place. Guangzhou won its fourth and fifth consecutive Chinese Super League titles in 2014 and 2015, respectively. On 21 November 2015, the club won its second continental championship, defeating Al-Ahli 1–0 on aggregate in the 2015 AFC Champions League Final. In the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup, Guangzhou won 2–1 against Club América in the quarter-finals before losing 3–0 against Barcelona in the semi-finals. Guangzhou also lost the third place match 2–1 against Hiroshima Sanfrecce, ending up in the same position as in the 2013 edition. By 2020, Guangzhou Evergrande won a total of eight Super League championships, including seven consecutive titles from 2011 to 2017.

Financial troubles and relegation

Ahead of the 2021 season, the team was renamed Guangzhou FC due to the Chinese Football Association's request for "neutral" names that would omit references to the investors and companies that own the club. In the same year, the Chinese financial crisis and the problems of the Evergrande Group caused the financial collapse of the club. After losing several key players, the team was relegated from the Super League in 2022, ending their twelve-season stay in the top flight.

Stadiums

Before the start of the 2023 China League One season, Guangzhou moved to Yuexiushan Stadium, the former ground of Guangzhou City. Previously, they played their home games at Tianhe Stadium with a capacity for 54,856 spectators. In April 2020, construction work began on the new 100,000-capacity Guangzhou Evergrande Football Stadium. Completion was scheduled for December 2022, in time to host the opening ceremony of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. However, due to the Chinese property sector crisis, sparked by the Evergrande Group, the project was cancelled in mid-2022. On 29 February 2024, Guangzhou announced a move to the Huadu Stadium.

Ownership and naming history

Sponsorship

Kit manufacturers

Rivalries

When professionalism was established within the Chinese football leagues in 1994, it allowed more than one team to play within each region. This saw the establishment of Guangzhou Matsunichi which used to be the youth academy of Guangzhou FC before being sold to Matsunichi Digital Holdings Limited. Direct ties between these two teams also saw them share the Yuexiushan Stadium. In their first meeting in the first round of the 1995 Chinese FA Cup, Matsunichi beat Guangzhou FC 4–3 on aggregate. For a brief period during the 1998 season, both teams were in the top tier with Matsunichi finishing higher than Guangzhou FC; however, the rivalry would reach its peak and subsequent conclusion during the 2000 season with both clubs in the second tier fighting relegation. On 15 July 2000, Guangzhou FC won 3–1 against Matsunichi which inevitably helped lead to Matsunichi's relegation, causing Matsunichi to disband at the end of the season.

When Guangzhou R&F moved to the city of Guangzhou, a local derby, often referred to as the Canton derby, was born. The first Canton derby was at Yuexiushan Stadium on 16 March 2012 as Guangzhou Evergrande lost 2–0 against Guangzhou R&F. Relations between the two club owners remain cordial off the pitch and club owners Xu Jiayin and Zhang Li were seen enjoying a meal together instead of watching the second derby in 2012, which Guangzhou R&F also won.

Players

First-team squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Askhan 2 DF Wang Wenxuan 3 DF Liu Langzhou 4 DF Chen Quanjiang 5 DF Wang Shilong 6 MF Hou Yu (captain) 7 FW Eysajan Kurban 8 DF Rimvydas Sadauskas 9 FW Juan Alegría 11 FW Abduwahap Aniwar 12 FW Islam Yasin 13 DF Wang Jie 14 MF Wu Yongqiang 15 DF Xu Bin 16 MF Zhang Zhixiong

No. Position Player 17 FW Yang Hao 18 MF Liao Jintao 19 FW Wu Junjie 20 MF Han Kunda 21 MF Wang Shijie 22 FW Li Jiahao 23 MF Yang Dejiang 24 FW Weli Qurban 26 MF Li Xingxian 27 MF Wang Junyang 28 FW Juan Peñaloza 29 FW Zhang Dachi 30 FW Bai Yutao 31 GK Wu Zitong 32 GK Huo Shenping

Coaching staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Salva Suay
Assistant coach	Niu Zhenning
Assistant coach	Zhao Yuxiang
Goalkeeping coach	Marc Franquesa Puig
Fitness coach	Sergio Manuel Pou Rodriguez

Source:

Managerial history

Amateur period (1954–1993)

Manager Period Luo Dizhi 1954–1956 Zeng Peifu 1956 Zheng Deyao 1956 Luo Rongman 1956–1961 Li Wenjun 1964 Lin Xiaocai 1966–1976 Luo Rongman 1977 Feng Meilu 1977

Manager Period Luo Rongman 1978–1982 Cai Tangyao 1983–1984 Chen Yiming 1985 Qi Wusheng 1986–1988 Xie Zhiguang 1989 Chen Yiming 1990 Zhou Sui'an 1991–1993

Professional period (1994–present)

Manager	Period	Honours
Zhou Sui'an	1994 – 7 June 1995
Zhang Jingtian	8 June 1995 – 28 December 1995
Xie Zhiguang	January 1996 – 15 April 1996
Xian Dixiong	16 April 1996 – December 1996
Chen Yiming	January 1997 – 13 August 1997
Mai Chao	13 August 1997 – 12 June 1998
Chen Xirong	12 June 1998 – 4 May 1999
Zhao Dayu	5 May 1999 – December 1999
Gildo Rodrigues	January 2000 – 19 April 2000
Zhou Sui'an	19 April 2000 – 23 September 2000
Edson Tavares (caretaker)	13 November 2000 – 11 December 2000
Liu Kang	11 December 2000 – 25 July 2001
Zhou Sui'an	25 July 2001 – 2 September 2002
Wu Qunli	2 September 2002 – 19 December 2002
Zhou Sui'an	19 December 2002 – 18 February 2003
Mai Chao	18 February 2003 – 31 October 2005
Drago Mamić (caretaker)	25 November 2005 – 25 February 2006
Qi Wusheng	25 February 2006 – 31 December 2006
Shen Xiangfu	4 January 2007 – 30 November 2009	2007 China League One
Peng Weiguo (caretaker)	1 December 2009 – 25 March 2010
Lee Jang-soo	25 March 2010 – 16 May 2012	2010 China League One 2011 Chinese Super League 2012 Chinese FA Super Cup
Marcello Lippi	17 May 2012 – 2 November 2014	2012 Chinese Super League 2012 Chinese FA Cup 2013 Chinese Super League 2013 AFC Champions League 2014 Chinese Super League
Fabio Cannavaro	5 November 2014 – 4 June 2015
Luiz Felipe Scolari	4 June 2015 – 5 November 2017	2015 Chinese Super League 2015 AFC Champions League 2016 Chinese FA Super Cup 2016 Chinese Super League 2016 Chinese FA Cup 2017 Chinese FA Super Cup 2017 Chinese Super League
Fabio Cannavaro	9 November 2017 – 28 September 2021	2018 Chinese FA Super Cup 2019 Chinese Super League
Zheng Zhi (caretaker)	7 December 2021 – January 2022
Liu Zhiyu	4 May 2022 – 14 August 2022
Zheng Zhi	14 August 2022 – 30 March 2023
Liu Zhiyu	30 March 2023 – 5 June 2023
Salva Suay	6 June 2023 – present

Honours

All-time honours list, including those achieved during the club's semi-professional period.

Domestic

League

• Chinese Jia-A League (top division until 2003)
  • Runners-up (2): 1992, 1994
• Chinese Super League (top division since 2004)
  • Winners (8): 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
  • Runners-up (2): 2018, 2020
• Chinese Second Division / Jia-B League (second division until 2003)
  • Winners (3): 1956, 1958, 1981
  • Runners-up (2): 1983, 1990
• China League One (second division since 2004)
  • Winners (2): 2007, 2010

Cups

• Chinese FA Cup
  • Winners (2): 2012, 2016
  • Runners-up (2): 1991, 2013
• Chinese FA Super Cup
  • Winners (4): 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018
  • Runners-up (3): 2013, 2014, 2015

International

• AFC Champions League
  • Winners (2): 2013, 2015
• FIFA Club World Cup
  • Fourth place (2): 2013, 2015

Results

All-time league rankings

Notes

No league games in 1959, 1966–1972, 1975, and 1976; Guangzhou did not enter the league in 1960, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, and 1979.
No promotion. In final group stage. In Changsha Group (first round). Drawn matches were decided on penalties after 90 minutes. Relegated for match-fixing scandal.
In Group A. Lost in the CSL championship final. Not played due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key

International results

Records and statistics

International players

Names in bold indicate players who had international appearances for their countries while playing for Guangzhou.

See also

In Spanish: Guangzhou Football Club para niños