Brazilian star Thiago (center) is expected to be a key player for Guangzhou City in the second phase of the tournament.
Preparing for the second phase of the Super League tournament
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) officially announced the schedule for the second phase of this season's Chinese Super League (CSL), which will kick off on December 12 and end on January 4, 2022, yesterday afternoon. This marks the first time in the history of the Chinese Super League across the New Year season.
For the three Guangdong teams in the same Guangzhou division, league preparations have been particularly easy as there is no pressure of relegation. Currently eighth-ranked Guangzhou City is actively preparing for the match at its base in University City, and club chairman Huang Shenghua recently revealed that the team is aiming for a sixth-place finish.
-New Express reporter Wang Enemy
Currently in eighth place
Apart from the F.A.C. Cup match in mid-October when they were eliminated by Chengdu Rongcheng, Guangzhou City had no matches to play since mid-August. In order to maintain their competitive status, the players could only return to the base for training. Although Guangzhou City's salary was suspended in September due to financial problems, it did not affect the team's normal preparation.
Huang Shenghua revealed that the team's training has been on schedule for the past two months. "After all, this is the first time there are salary arrears, but the general environment is so, we can understand," Huang Shenghua said, "If I say that the team's morale is still very high, we also know that I am telling a lie." Huang Shenghua said the unpaid salary is only temporary, the club will not deny it, and will be paid next.
In fact, since the beginning of 2016, R&F has transformed its business strategy, some of the senior high-paid players were high price "cash", and in the introduction of internal and external assistance is no longer the pursuit of big names, but more consideration of practicality. Huang Shenghua said, Guangzhou City this year's South American trio overall salary is 2.5 million euros - Guilherme annual salary of 1.1 million euros, Caldona and Tiago's annual salary of 1 million and 400,000 euros, respectively.
For now, the club should have no problem completing the second phase of the Chinese Super League, although the situation of the club's shareholding reform is still confusing. In the standings, eighth-place Guangzhou City (21 points) has one point less than ninth-place Shanghai Shenhua (22 points), but under the current rules, Guangzhou City is eighth at worst. Huang Shenghua said the team will give more chances to newcomers in the last eight rounds of the tournament, aiming to improve its ranking and try to enter the top six.
Dual foreign aiders hold up half the sky
Restricted by various conditions, Guangzhou City has a number of key players who will miss the second stage of the tournament, including the core of the foreigners and the main internal players. Guangzhou City head coach Van Garst will tap into the internal potential and provide more opportunities for the newcomers.
Dembele and Guilherme were reportedly back in the team by September. Guilherme was unable to return to the team due to visa issues, while Dembele took the initiative to apply not to participate in the second phase of the tournament. Currently, Guangzhou City has only two foreigners, Brazilian center forward Thiago and Colombian striker Caldona, and these two attackers have been in excellent form recently. A few days ago with the Shenzhen football warm-up match, Tiago and Caldona helped Guangzhou City to 4:0 victory. In the second phase of the Chinese Super League, Guangzhou City can only rely on this pair of "double shot" to break through the world.
Merger of two Guangzhou teams unlikely
Former Guangzhou City head coach Van Bronckhorst just became the head coach of Scottish Premier League giants Rangers a few days ago, with Guangzhou City's coaching team from the previous year almost fully transplanted to Rangers. Van Bronckhorst's old partner Van Garst has also been called up.
Huang Shenghua revealed that van Garst will not be traveling to Scotland and will lead the team for the rest of the season. At the beginning of this year, Van Garst signed a one-year contract with Guangzhou City with an annual salary of 900,000 euros, and due to the pleasant cooperation, both sides have the intention to renew the contract. In addition, Guangzhou City also has relevant plans in terms of player contract renewal, six or seven players in the main structure are expected to renew their contracts. For the outside world concerned about the future merger of the two teams in Guangzhou, Huang Shenghua that the possibility is not great, he said: "The two clubs are independent legal persons, the significance of the merger is not great, the operational feasibility is less than fifty percent."
