Guangdong soccer, which has written a glorious chapter in the domestic professional league, boasts the glory of eight Chinese Super League titles, the Asian champion Guangzhou, the budding Guangzhou City, the rich Shenzhen team and the emerging Meizhou Hakka team. When these four teams gathered in the Super League, the glorious history of Guangdong soccer jumped off the page. However, times have changed and Guangdong soccer is no longer the same as domestic soccer. Only Meizhou Hakka can still maintain normal operation, the other three teams are in deep trouble.
Firstly, although Guangzhou was relegated, its debt burden is relatively light and there is no stock reform issue involved. The Evergrande Group is holding on to the Guangzhou team, which is expected to survive as long as it continues to invest at a low cost. The problem of salary arrears brought about by high salaries in the past has been alleviated. The team has given up salary arrears in exchange for freedom, and young players have become the mainstay of the team. Despite the lack of competitiveness in the league, as long as Evergrande is interested, the Guangzhou team has no worries for the time being. However, if Evergrande lets go of the team, Guangzhou team is afraid of facing the risk of dissolution.
Guangzhou City has been successful in relegation, but only the guarantee of a ticket to the Chinese Super League next season. It is understood that as many as 70% of the team's players' contracts expired at the end of last year, and with the stock reform stalled, there is no hope for players to renew their contracts. The team may have only 30% of its players left. If 30% of the players remain, it can be said that there is no one available for Guangzhou soccer. The decision of Guangzhou Football Group to participate in the share reform is not in their own hands, even if relegated, the situation of Guangzhou City is still very dangerous.
The Shenzhen team is facing serious challenges, and outsiders are worried about whether the club can survive. Although the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture and Sports promotes and supports the share reform, the future of the team is worrying under the surface of the team's plight. The Shenzhen team is facing the double pressure of huge debt and share reform. 3.5 billion in debt has directly hindered the share reform process, and no one has taken over the team. Shenzhen's debt problem is far greater than that of other teams, stemming from its absurd investment relationship with its parent company, i.e. Caesar's investment in Shenzhen soccer is all loans. This model allows the club to purchase players without having to pay for them out of pocket, but is burdened with a huge amount of debt.
When the new business took over the club, it was unwilling to take on the old debt, which was compounded by the shameless behavior of the original shareholders. After the withdrawal of the original shareholders, the new shareholders need to fill the previous loopholes. This practice leaves serious hidden dangers for the future. Once the original shareholders withdraw, the risk of the team's dissolution will come unexpectedly. The worst case scenario for all three Guangdong teams is that they will all be disbanded, with only Meizhou Hakka still standing.
