In the flow of time, ten years ago, Guangzhou Evergrande, with its brilliant record, wrote a new chapter of Chinese soccer, became the pioneer of the Asian championship, and accomplished the glory that countless soccer people had dreamed of.
In that golden era coached by Lippi, the Guangzhou team brought together top players from home and abroad.
Among the domestic players, there are not only famous players who used to ride in the international arena, but also current international players; and the foreign aid lineup is the top in Asia, who borrowed the team model of the top clubs in Europe and the United States, supplemented by the iron fist management, so that the team has risen all the way from the Chinese Super League, until it won the AFC Champions League.
Guangzhou Evergrande, in their first taste of action, swept away K-League giants Jeonbuk Hyundai 5-1, restoring hope to fans who had been disillusioned with Chinese soccer.
The second year of the AFC Champions League, Coach Lippi took office, the team like a tiger with wings, all the way to the top of Asia, and finally won the AFC Champions League trophy.
Some have questioned the gold content of the championship, arguing that the "national team + super foreign aid" model does not bring real joy, while most of the top players from Japan and South Korea have stayed in Europe.
However, it is true that there were more Japanese and South Korean players in 2013, at a higher level, performing in the top five leagues. More waves of study abroad means a loss of good players, but that doesn't necessarily mean the standard of their leagues has dropped. So why would a team like Shanghai Port lose to Pathum United of the Thai league and not even make it to the AFC Champions League qualifying round?
Some teams have spent huge sums of money to win only the Chinese Super League title, and even the threshold of the AFC Champions League final is hard to reach. It is evident that huge investment and top players are essential to win the AFC Champions League.
Ten years later, Guangzhou Evergrande has changed its name to Guangzhou, and has even been relegated to the Central League, becoming a civilian team - the least invested team in the Chinese Super League and the Central League.
Who is the star of this team? The players spoke in unison - Efirdin, an NHL forward worth a mere $300,000 dollars.
Tang Tang's two-time AFC Champions dominate the Central League, but have to rely on a bunch of soccer academy students to keep up appearances. Can these young players, with an average age of about 21, get a foothold in the Central League? Many predicted that Guangzhou would be relegated consecutively, from the Chinese Super League to the Central League A, and even to the Central League B the following year.
This view is not uncommon! Cheng Yaodong has led the U22 National Youth League to play in the Central League B, but did not make a breakthrough. In contrast, Guangzhou players are younger, with a single selection, all from the Evergrande Soccer School, and face the challenge of a higher level of Central League One.
At first, these new recruits were in a worrying situation with only three points in the first eight rounds. However, unexpectedly, in the next Central League match, Guangzhou managed to be relegated four rounds ahead of schedule.
Successful relegation is the biggest win of all and means the team is on firm footing, setting the stage for a future rise.
At this point, the club was also able to free itself up to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the team's first AFC Champions League title.
On November 9, 2013, Guangzhou announced its dominance of Asia, proudly proclaiming "We are the King of Asia" (above).
