As the Chinese Super League draws to a close, the title race seems to be out of reach, but Shanghai Harbour are leading the way with a whopping 53 points, clinging to a nine-point lead over second-placed Taishan. If they can maintain their current level in the remaining 6 matches, they will secure the title. The fight for the second to sixth place is extremely fierce, with a negligible difference in points. Currently, Taishan is in second place with 44 points, Shanghai Shenhua is in third place with 42 points, and Beijing Guoan follows in fourth place with 41 points. Zhejiang and Wuhan Sanzhen are fifth and sixth with 39 points.
This season, Beijing Guoan has experienced an up and down season. Initially, the team went undefeated for four consecutive rounds, but quickly slipped into the relegation zone, exposing the lack of Stanley Menzo's coaching ability as well as the poor fielding skills of the team's young players. At the same time, it also reveals the failure of Guoan's senior recruitment strategy. The over-reliance on Zhang Yuning became a hidden danger, leading to a lack of power in the forward line at the beginning of the season and frequent injuries to Zhang Yuning. The performance of new midfielders Ademi and De Sousa also struggled to fit in with the team's tactics.
In the middle of the season, Beijing Guoan made timely adjustments and changed coaches. Ricardo Suarez took over and results fluctuated. At first, he failed to get rid of the shadow left by Stanley's coaching and continued to use Ademi and De Souza, but the two foreigners still could not play a central role. The team's problems up front became apparent as they faced back-to-back defeats against Meizhou Hakka and Taishan, but then the introduction of Fabio Abreu energized the team by scoring six goals and contributing three assists in nine matches.
Recently, Ricardo Suarez has rebuilt the midfield line for Beijing Guoan, dropping Ademi and De Souza. The two have not been in the starting lineup for four consecutive games, partly due to poor health and partly because of their limited role in the team. Inside backers Li Ke, Ji Zhongguo and Zhang Xunzhe, on the other hand, played well in the midfield line, helping Guoan go undefeated for five consecutive rounds of the Chinese Super League, with four wins and one draw.
As we all know, Ademi was the king of Beijing Guoan in the beginning of 2023, with a transfer fee as high as 1 million euros. However, he did not play well at Guoan and became a kind of "chicken ribs" commodity. The player's situation at Guoan is also very difficult.
On September 5, Beijing time, Croatian side Dinamo announced the completion of Ademi's transfer, but specific details have yet to be announced. Ademi gave up his salary at Guoan and the transfer deal is expected to be officially unveiled on the same day. As a result, Beijing Guoan will compete for three foreigners in the next six rounds. Guoan's initiative for Ademi to give up his salary for the transfer can also be seen as a way to reduce losses. After all, his role in the team has been limited, and leaving as early as possible may be beneficial to both sides. De Souza's contract will expire at the end of the year and he will also leave the team.
