In the Chinese Super League, there is a unique team that aspires to go to the top but has only won the top division once in its long history. They have never been shy about saving face, whether they are fighting for the title or relegation. The joy of victory, the splendor of 9-1, far outweighs the satisfaction of 8-1. From A-A to the Chinese Super League, they have encountered countless opponents, but always believe in their choice.
Needless to say, this team is the senior powerhouse of Chinese soccer - Beijing Guoan, which has never been relegated or renamed since the professionalization of soccer.
For the 2023 season, Beijing Guoan's goal is naturally to make a run at the title, but that's just a slogan.
Beijing Guoan, the earliest established professional soccer club, will set sail in the new industrial stadium in 2023.
In 1994, Chinese soccer entered the era of professionalization. Beijing Guoan, as one of the first teams in the A-League, was established at the end of 1992 and was the earliest professional soccer club in China.
When the team was first created, it set the ambition of "Guoan will always be the first", but in the A-A period, they could not compete with Dalian Wanda and Shanghai Shenhua, and in the Chinese Super League, they could not compete with Shandong Taishan and Guangzhou Evergrande. The only time they won the top league title was in 2009, but this achievement was often questioned by outsiders.
Beijing Guoan has many high-level players, coaches and foreign aiders, and their overall strength has always been among the top teams. They have always been a maverick. in 1997, Guoan thrashed Shanghai Shenhua 9-1 at home in the A-League, the largest point difference since the specialization of Chinese soccer. in the final round of the A-League in 1999, Liaoning could have won the title if they had beaten Guoan, but they were ultimately forced to a draw by Guoan, allowing Shandong Taishan to win the title. in the final round of the Chinese Super League in 2013, Guoan beat Qingdao Zhongneng by the slimmest of margins (1-0) to send their rivals into the Central League.
For the new season, Beijing Guoan will be housed in the new Gongtian Stadium, a stadium that will also be the venue for the opening and unveiling matches of this year's Chinese Super League.
Stanley Menzo, a 59-year-old coach of Surinamese descent, became Beijing Guoan's reserve team coach in 2019, then coached the Surinamese national team before becoming Beijing Guoan's head coach in August 2022, replacing Xie Feng who resigned. He is also the first black coach in Chinese Super League history.
While Menzo's coaching record in the history of the Guingamp club isn't exactly outstanding, he has had a rather illustrious career in soccer. As a goalkeeper, he played for Dutch Eredivisie giants Ajax for 10 years, appearing in more than 300 matches, and was Ajax's main goalkeeper before Van der Sar.
As for the squad, Guoan brought in 14 players (including lease returns) and 13 players (including leases and lease expirations). Among the players introduced, the only cost of 500,000 euros of foreign aid Ademi, 31-year-old midfielder, international player from North Macedonia, played in the Croatian giants Zagreb Dinamo. He started 6 group games in the Champions League this season, contributing 2 goals and 1 assist, a strength not to be underestimated. Yang Liyu, Fang Hao, Feng Boxuan and other internal reinforcements are all free to join. Among the players who transferred out, Yu Yang, Liu Huan and Hou Yongyong all left the team without signatures, Yang Fan rented to Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, and Cao Yongjing rented to Changchun Yatai. Their rentals brought in 940,000 euros for Guoan, and after Ademi's introduction costing 500,000 euros, Guoan still has some vacancies.
Compared to last season, National's overall strength has improved slightly.
Desired outcome - sitting on six and looking at four
In the 2022 season, Beijing Guoan finished seventh in the Chinese Super League, a result that did not live up to expectations and did not reflect its true strength.
Throughout 2022, Guoan experienced roster adjustments and coaching changes, in addition to a tight Premier League schedule, a confusing system, occasional changes in home and away arrangements, and team forfeits, which led to an unusually irregular league.
Looking ahead to the new season, Guoan's goal of competing for the title is ambitious but slightly underpowered. Teams such as Wuhan Three Town, Shandong Taishan, and Shanghai Port have stronger lineup configurations. Competing for fourth place is a more realistic goal for Guoan. Of course, traditional strong teams such as Shanghai Shenhua, Henan Songshan Longmen and Changchun Yatai should not be underestimated.
