The Guangzhou soccer world has seen a wave of dramatic changes, following the failure to pass the CFA review, the 2023 season access to the qualification has been rejected, a soccer city's history of the chapter came to an end. The Shenyang Sea Lions, once the most glamorous team in the world, have been in the hearts of fans since the 1994 AA season, but now they have suspended their operations for some reason, and another veteran team quietly withdrew for the 2022 season, leaving behind the name "Guangzhou R&F" and the eternal "Eat, Sleep, Play Evergrande! The only thing left is the name "Guangzhou R&F" and the eternal "Eat, Sleep, Play Evergrande" game.
Dating back to the 1994 A-League, Guangzhou City's predecessor was none other than Shenyang Sea Lions, a club that left a deep imprint in the hearts of fans. However, with the economic pressure, Shenyang Sea Lions changed its name to Shenyang Jinde, and its perseverance in the Northeast failed to last after all. The club moved south and settled in Changsha, Hunan Province, renamed Changsha Jinde, but was ill-fated and soon moved to Guangdong, eventually reborn in Shenzhen as Shenzhen Phoenix.
However, Shenzhen Phoenix's glory was short-lived and was then acquired by R&F. Since the 2012 season, Guangzhou R&F and Guangzhou Evergrande have been engaged in a Guangzhou derby that has lasted ten years. Compared with the rich and powerful Evergrande, R&F insisted on a practical and economical operation philosophy, but created a soccer story with inexpensive reinforcements such as Hammad and Xavi and the guidance of famous coaches Eriksson and Stojkovic.
In the era of Guangzhou R&F, fans jokingly called it "Eat, Sleep, Play Evergrande". Facing the powerful Guangzhou Evergrande, R&F repeatedly staged wonderful duels, and even realized a double kill against Evergrande, the intensity of which was comparable to the Shanghai Derby. However, at the beginning of the 2020 season, with the change of environment, R&F's splendor is no longer. The state-owned Guangzhou Automobile Group, which had hoped to intervene, eventually failed to save the veteran team and chose to "pull the plug" and leave the field.
