This week, the Guangzhou soccer team stepped into the ranks of the new season of preparation for the Chinese Super League, in accordance with the spring training program, the team members have all been in place.
Following the introduction of a new salary system for the Guangzhou team, the highest annual salary for the first team is set at 600,000 yuan, and only three people can enjoy this treatment, which has accelerated the renewal of the team. There are speculations that most of the core players of the Guangzhou team last season may leave the team. At present, Zhang Linpeng, Wei Shihao, Jiang Guangtai, Liu Zhenzheng, Gao Zhunyi, Wu Shaochong, Deng Hanwen, Yan Dinghao, Yang Liyu, Liao Lixiang and other ten players are training with the national team in Hainan, a lot of players have basically determined to transfer to the destination. And two veterans Zheng Zhi and Huang Bowen directly retired into the possibility of coaching positions can not be ignored.
It is reported that the Guangzhou team's coaching team has handpicked dozens of young players at the Evergrande Football School, some of whom will fill out the first-team squad, while others will participate in the AFC Champions League as members of the second team. Despite the limited size of the team's investment, the club's goal is clear: to retain its place in the Chinese Super League.
At the end of February this year, Guangzhou Football Club completed a personnel change. Wang Yajun, the president of Evergrande Football School, took over as the club's chairman, and Gao Han, the former chairman, was transferred to the position of general manager. Subsequently, the club announced a new coaching team, Liu Zhiyu continued to serve as head coach, his assistant lineup basically retained the base of last season's class, while adding former manager Cannavaro's interpreter Li Bai.
From March 7, Liu Zhiyu led the first team and second team coaching team to carry out the selection work in Panyu base. The total number of players to be examined will be 60, mainly targeting the members of the second team who participated in the AFC Championship last year and the youth players of Evergrande Football School. The coaching team plans to spend a week to complete the inspection and select about 35 players to form the first team. Players who fail to make the cut will be involved in the selection of the second team and other teams planning to participate in this year's Chinese Champions League, which may also be tasked with the AFC Champions League.
Previously, Changchun Yatai announced its withdrawal from this year's AFC Champions League, triggering speculation about whether the Guangzhou team would also withdraw from the tournament. However, the senior management of Evergrande Group clearly requested the team to participate in the AFC Champions League in order to continue to train the team. Given the conflict between the group stage of the AFC Champions League and the Chinese Super League schedule, Guangzhou will send its second team to participate in the group stage of the AFC Champions League in Malaysia.
