In the late night of March 5th, a budding Chinese B League newcomer, Guangdong Guangzhou Leopard Football Club, released a heavy news to the public: a total of 15 players and coach Han Lei's contracts were declared to be terminated, and they are about to embark on a new professional journey.
Among these departing players are not only coach Han Lei, but also well-known players Diao Jiahao, Wen Yongjun, Wu Chengru, Deng Yubiao, Zhou Yuchen, Zhang Xue, Huang Cong, Wang Peng, Wei Yuren, Huang Peizhao, Huang Wenzhuo, Cao Jinlong, Chen Junhan and Liu Chang.
It is encouraging to see that most of the players who left the team have successfully seized new opportunities. Wen Yongjun, for example, has joined the Shenzhen youth team; Wu Chengru and Zhou Yuchen have moved to Shaanxi United; Deng Yubiao has embarked on a journey with Suzhou Dongwu, a team in the Central League; Zhang Zuliang has chosen Guangxi Hengchen, and so on and so forth.
And the team is growing. It is reported that on the basis of retaining the core players Xiao Zhi and Liang Xueming, Guangdong Guangzhou Panthers introduced a number of powerful players such as Ji Zhengyu, Wu Xingyu, Jin Qiang, Huang Jiaqiang, Lv Haidong and so on, aiming to comprehensively improve the overall strength of the team in the new season. From the current situation, they are expected to be a strong contender for the title in the league.
Looking back at the 2023 Chinese Champions League, Guangdong Guangzhou Leopards (once known as Guangzhou Shadow Leopards), under the leadership of Coach Lai Bing, managed to qualify with a fifth place finish. At the beginning of the new season, they managed to join the China B Professional League. It is worth mentioning that the Chinese Football Association (CFA) officially approved the name change of Guangzhou Shadow Leopards to Guangdong Guangzhou Leopards on March 4th.
