On the soccer stage, Guangzhou Evergrande and Dalian Wanda, the two big clubs, have chosen very different development trajectories.
Dalian Wanda has shown that the power of money is not to be underestimated behind its success in the league. Rumor has it that Wang Jianlin showed up at the game with a suitcase full of cash, and although the specifics of the prize money are unknown, the morale boosting effect is clear for all to see.
In 1997, Dalian Wanda conceded two goals in a league match away to Yanbian, and Wang Jianlin announced on the spot that he would double his bonus if he could draw. As a result, the team scored two goals in a row and managed to make a comeback.
However, Dalian Wanda was not the only team that relied on bonuses to motivate their team, and almost all of the 12 teams in the A-League had such initiatives. 1994 A-League's first game, Sichuan Quanxing drew with Liaoning, and defender Wei Qun handed out 3,000 yuan in cash, counting it himself several times, which was something the players couldn't dare to imagine at the time.
Money is only one part of the equation, not the only factor, that has allowed Dalian Wanda to dominate the A-League.
First of all, Dalian, as the cradle of Chinese soccer, constantly sends excellent players, which is the heritage of Dalian soccer accumulated for decades. after the 1995 season, Dalian Wanda quickly started the renewal, a number of young players such as Sun Jihai, Wang Peng and so on rose to become the backbone of the team. When Dalian Wanda withdrew from Chinese soccer, it also handed over the 1981 and 1985 age group ladder teams to Dalian Shide, which ensured the ten-year-long glory of Dalian soccer.
Secondly, the management level of Dalian soccer was leading in the country at that time. At the beginning of the establishment of Dalian Football Salon, the team lived in the dormitory under the stands of Dalian People's Stadium, and the Salon laid the floor and installed air-conditioning for the players, which was a rare treatment for the domestic team at that time. In addition, the rules and regulations of the Salon and all kinds of regulations were also the first to be put forward in China, and many teams came to learn from them.
Many of Dalian Wanda's initiatives are still positive today. Before the start of each season, players and their families were called to understand their difficulties and to address their concerns. after losing the 1995 league championship, the Wanda Salon and the Dalian Football Association invited people from all walks of life to a three-day soccer conference aimed at regaining the title.
During the Dalian Wanda period, interpersonal relationships were very cordial, and many foreign players who had played in Dalian returned to the city to meet their old teammates after they retired, which also reflected the broad-mindedness of the Dalian people. The first national league title was won under the guidance of Shanghai-based coach Zhang Honggen, who even returned to Dalian to coach during Chi Shangbin's tenure.
Guangzhou Evergrande, on the other hand, has chosen a different path and has been hailed as China's Real Madrid. They have fully utilized the power of money, but relied not on home-grown players, but more through player trading. Professional leagues need clubs like Real Madrid to flourish, but they also can't do so without clubs like Barcelona, and the two go hand in hand.
