A storm of investigations into match-fixing swept through the Guangdong Provincial Games U-Series, with 15 cases settled and many of the individuals and organizations involved not being spared, and being held accountable and punished accordingly. The CFA decided without mercy to ban the principal and vice principal of Evergrande Soccer School and several of its coaches for life, prohibiting them from participating in any soccer activities. Faced with this heavy hammer, Evergrande Group quickly responded by releasing a statement on the reorganization of the team's lineup, making it clear that strict internal disciplinary actions would be taken against the banned personnel, including removal from office!
Evergrande Soccer School suffered a heavy blow, which was evident in Guangzhou's Super League finale. Guangzhou, a team that was already eager to be relegated, sent young players to the field this time. Did Evergrande Group foresee this change and chose the survival strategy of "lying down"? On the 27th, Guangzhou will usher in the penultimate match of this season's Chinese Super League against Changchun Yatai. If Guangzhou fails to win, relegation seems inevitable. Soccer Daily reveals that the club's investor Xu Jiayin knows nothing about the team's current situation, let alone its future plans and stance. Whether the team is on a losing streak or facing a relegation crisis, Xu Jiayin has not made any inquiries.
At present, the Guangzhou team is facing the plight of salary arrears. In order to ensure the smooth running of the team's matches, the Chinese Football Federation and the Football Association have advanced part of the expenses to ensure the accommodation and other expenses of the players. However, Evergrande Group has stopped providing financial assistance to the club. Guangzhou Football Association and related departments have no plan for the future and development of the team. The Guangzhou Football Association has even had its membership suspended for two years as a result of being penalized by the CFA. If Evergrande Group no longer supports the team after downsizing it, the Guangzhou team may even lose its eligibility to be hosted by the Guangzhou Football Association or the Sports Bureau.
Evergrande's major training fund for the Guangzhou team has been drastically cut. Prior to the season, the salaries of first-team players were uniformly limited to less than 600,000 dollars. The CFA also limited contract renewals for highly paid players, coinciding with Evergrande's strategy. In order to train young players, Evergrande's soccer school salary level was adjusted downward and the overall soccer fund was cut to 10 million yuan. This has made it impossible for Evergrande to provide the Guangzhou team with enough money to renew players, leading to the departure of "national players" and naturalized players. More than a decade ago, Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals was relegated by the CFA for match-fixing, and 12 years ago, Guangzhou Evergrande took over the team, ushering in a new era of soccer in the Chinese Super League and even in Asia. However, 12 years later, Guangzhou soccer is once again in trouble due to the match-fixing issue, and the team cannot register in Guangzhou. Such a severe punishment is still in the limelight. The adage of "there is a cycle in heaven" has been proved here.
If Lippi had not resigned in the last 12 matches and all naturalized players had been able to compete, the situation would not have been so bleak even if Chinese soccer had failed to qualify. However, the power and interest strife within Chinese soccer has led to the current chaos, and the predicament faced by the Guangzhou team maps out the total collapse of Chinese soccer. Therefore, it is not the investors, Evergrande, or the golden dollar soccer that has crushed Chinese soccer, but the management of the FA itself, who really need to reflect deeply.
