In the Chinese Super League, there is a team that is unique in its unswerving pursuit of championship glory, yet in the team's history, they have only won the top league title with a 9-1 thriller. In the face of honor, they never hide their desire to win, even if the score difference is big, they always want to pursue more.
From the First Division to the Chinese Super League, this team has survived countless challenges and opponents, but has always maintained a resilient fighting spirit. This team is Beijing Guoan, a renowned veteran of Chinese soccer. Since the professionalization of soccer, Guoan has always stood firm and is one of the few clubs that have never been relegated or changed their name.
In the 2023 season, Beijing Guoan once again set the ambition to target the championship, however, behind the slogan, there is still hidden the reality of the pressure.
Dating back to 1994, when Chinese soccer entered the era of professionalization, Beijing Guoan emerged as one of the first professional soccer clubs in China as a pioneer in the First Division at the end of 1992.
Since its inception, the slogan "Guoan always fights for the first" has resonated throughout the game, and despite the fact that it was difficult to compete with such powerhouses as Dalian Wanda and Shanghai Shenhua in the first division, and Shandong Taishan and Guangzhou Evergrande in the Chinese Super League, the top league title they won in 2009 is still a highly coveted one, even though this history is accompanied by a lot of skepticism. The history of the team has been marred by a lot of skepticism.
Beijing Guoan, a team that has a history of creating brilliance many times. 1997 A A, Guoan bloodied Shanghai Shenhua at home with a score of 9-1, the largest score difference since the specialization of Chinese soccer; 1999 A A league final round, Guoan forced Liaoning to draw, allowing Shandong Taishan to win the title; 2013 Chinese Super League final round, Guoan beat Qingdao Zhongneng with a score of 1:0, sending the opponent to the Central League.
With the advent of the new season, Beijing Guoan will move into the new industrial stadium, which will also be the venue for the opening ceremony and opening match of this year's Chinese Super League.
The team's current head coach, Stanley Menzo, 59, of Surinamese descent, was the coach of Beijing Guoan's reserve team in 2019 before coaching the Surinamese national team and succeeding Xie Feng as Guoan's head coach in August 2022, making him the first black coach in the Chinese Super League. Despite a slightly mediocre coaching career, he played for Dutch Eredivisie giants Ajax for 10 years as a goalkeeper, appearing in more than 300 matches, and was Ajax's starting goalkeeper before Van der Sar.
In the new season, Guoan's lineup has undergone major changes, but the overall strength has increased. At present, Guoan has introduced 14 players (including lease return) and 13 players (including lease and lease expiration). Among them, foreign aid Ademi to join the price of 500,000 euros, midfielder, 31-year-old Ademi played in the Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb, this season's UEFA Champions League 6 group stage debut, contributing 2 goals and 1 assist, the strength of the strength should not be underestimated. Internal reinforcements, Yang Liyu, Fang Hao, Feng Boxuan and other players are free to join.
Among the players who transferred out, Yu Yang, Liu Huan and Hou Yongyong all left the team without signing, Yang Fan went on loan to Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and Cao Yongjing went on loan to Changchun Yatai. Their rentals brought in €940,000 for Guoan, while the addition of Ademi brought in €500,000 for the team's expenses.
Compared to last season, Guoan's overall strength has improved. Looking ahead to the new season, the goal of competing for the title is out of reach, but competing for fourth place is still a realistic goal. Teams such as Wuhan Three Town, Shandong Taishan and Shanghai Port have stronger lineup configurations, while traditional powerhouses such as Shanghai Shenhua, Henan Songshan Longmen and Changchun Yatai should not be overlooked.
