As the 26th round of this season's China League One came to an end, former domestic soccer giant Guangzhou (formerly Guangzhou Evergrande) announced that their relegation target had been reached with a victory. As the battle came to an end, the players celebrated passionately and took to social media to post moments of joy to mark the completion of their mission. However, the spread of this joyous news is quite sad. Looking back a few years ago, Guangzhou Evergrande was still firmly established as the dominant team in the Chinese Super League.
Even in Asia, few teams dared to take them lightly. However, time has changed, and who would have thought that now they would be relegated to the Super League and only relegated to the Central League. But this victory is worth celebrating, after all, it has witnessed the team's hard work in overcoming many obstacles.
The banners in the photo also tell the story of the pain. In the stands, Guangzhou fans waved banners reminding the young players not to cheat themselves. This is certainly the best interpretation of the team. After losing many of its top players and foreign aiders, the Guangzhou team is made up almost entirely of local players, most of whom came from the Evergrande Soccer School's youth training camp. Despite their impressive performances in their younger years, there is still a big gap compared to the adult team.
This is a big reason for their bumpy road to relegation. They have not been given much of an advantage in the Central League.
Of course, the decline of Evergrande's soccer school is also related to team owner Xu Jiayin being investigated for personal issues. In the middle of this year, boss Xu had said in a meeting that he would lead Evergrande to realize the dream of returning to the Chinese Super League in three years. However, this ambition has now fizzled out, and without the full support of investors, Guangzhou can only rely on this young team to continue to struggle. A return to glory seems out of reach.
All they can do is stay where they are, not continue to slide. This is the underlying reason why they are so excited after their relegation. Some even predicted that Guangzhou would win the AFC Champions League for the third time! However, this prediction is saddening.
It is difficult for a league to reap the desired results if it is not sustainable and constantly changing. The same is true for Guangzhou, the Chinese Super League, and Chinese soccer. This is not only the decline of a dynasty, but also its own problems and the problems of the game itself. The foundation of a professional league is the word "professional".
