Changes are coming to the Canyon Lions' lineup on a brand new assembly day on Sept. 12, with Coach Guterbi no longer among them. The club has terminated its contract with Guterbee and is now actively searching for a new head coach. After the rally, Cangzhou Lions will be U21 head coach Liu Yan temporarily in charge of the coaching whip.
The Cangzhou Lions have gone through a number of changes this season. First of all, the diversification of the shareholding structure has led to the relocation of the club from Shijiazhuang to Cangzhou City. In addition, at the beginning of the season, the team attracted reinforcements, Ahmadov, Xie Pengfei, Zheng Kaimu and a number of other famous players to join, the team's strength significantly improved.
However, in the first half of the league, the team's performance was poor due to factors such as integration, and only achieved 3 draws and 2 losses. In the second half of the league, Cangzhou Lions improved, beating Qingdao in the 8th round and accidentally beating Shenzhen in the 13th round, but the overall performance was still average, with 2 wins, 1 draw and 6 losses.
At the end of the first stage, Cangzhou Lions accumulated 10 points with 2 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses, and ranked second last in Guangzhou. At present, the relegation group of 6 teams points bite quite tight, Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic and Wuhan team accumulated 11 points, Cangzhou Lions accumulated 10 points, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger accumulated 9 points, Qingdao and Dalian People's Team both accumulated 7 points. If there are no accidents, the relegation playoff places will be produced in these six teams.
Facing the pressure of relegation, Cangzhou Lions feel the pressure. On the one hand, the team needs to fight for relegation; on the other hand, although all the preparations for the new season have been done in full swing, the performance still fails to meet the expectations of all parties, including new and old investors. It is in this context, the club made the decision to replace the head coach Guterbi.
Guterbi was a key figure in the Cangzhou Lions' Super League run, returning to coach and successfully leading the team to the Super League in the middle of the 2019 season. However, the 2020 and 2021 seasons of the Super League performance is not ideal, the team in the second stage of the 2020 season rapid decline and relegation, fortunately the replacement back to the Super League. Unfortunately, Guterbi did not lead the team to a satisfactory record this season.
Currently, Cangzhou Lions are looking for a new head coach, and it is understood that the preferred target is a foreign coach. However, the introduction of foreign coaches is restricted by many conditions, especially the entry problem. Only when the foreign coach enters the country can the final negotiation and contract be finalized.
As for the alternatives, Cangzhou Lions may also select the new coach from the local coaches. Although there are shortcomings of local coaches, but the advantage is that they can be on duty at any time, more understanding of the team, but also can quickly enter the state.
Overall, the Cangzhou Lions have plenty of time to make adjustments, regardless of their AFC Cup record. The second stage of the league will open in early December, and if the selection is completed within a month, the new manager will have about two months to get to know the team and transform it.
