This past weekend, there were two pieces of news about Chinese professional football clubs, which is really disappointing.
The first message is that the Guangzhou Evergrande Club fell into an access crisis due to arrears of player salaries. Faced with the dilemma of being forced to disband, the club raised funds to save itself through Douyin live broadcast. Many die-hard Evergrande fans have spent real money and placed crazy orders to support the club. Although this amount of arrears is only a drop in the bucket, it contains the fans' good wishes to "pay money if they have money" for the club to survive.
The Guangzhou Evergrande team raised funds through live streaming to deal with the access crisis.
The second article is the first stop of the Shanghai Harbor team's winter training in the 2023 season. It is actually placed at the training base of the Guangzhou Evergrande team. The Guangzhou Evergrande base also displays a welcome banner with the huge logo of the Harbor, with "Shencheng Positive Energy" on it. "We are red" and other Chinese and English words - the victor's iron hoof goes straight to the "base camp" of the former competitor. This really makes people feel incredible, even a bit magical and ironic.
's strongest rival, they once teamed up to stage the "National Derby"
During the Jinyuan Football Period of the Chinese Super League, Evergrande and the Haigang team, then called Shanghai SIPG, were both powerful domestic teams, and they were not short of money. They were the "Chinese Super League Champions" at that time. The important force of "Derby" is a pair of "happy enemies".
At that time, Shanghai SIPG bought foreign aid Elkeson from Evergrande, and they had to be polite when giving money to the other party. After the transfer was completed, the Guangzhou Evergrande team also had to stand on the moral high ground and make an official announcement: "Out of In order to support the Chinese Super League team to play well in the AFC Champions League, and to cooperate with the Guangzhou team in the AFC Champions League to win glory for the country, after careful consideration and decision with the coaching staff, the Brazilian foreign aid Elkson was agreed to officially transfer to Shanghai SIPG Football Club. "
In 2016, even if Guangzhou Evergrande transferred foreign aid to SIPG at a high price, it still had to occupy the commanding heights of superiority in the official announcement.
At that time, the Shanghai SIPG team challenged the Guangzhou Evergrande team in an away game. It was too difficult to stay in a hotel in Guangzhou, so they could only stay in the suburbs. On the way to the Tianhe Sports Center on the day of the game, the bus that the Haigang soldiers were riding on would be caused by passers-by, played by die-hard Evergrande fans, to cause five car accidents in succession - these slightly ridiculous off-game moves were just to disturb the mentality of the competitors. The next year, the Shanghai SIPG team's response strategy was: they found two identical buses and closed the curtains on both of them. Can you tell whether I am male or female?
At that time, whenever the Guangzhou Evergrande team came to Shanghai to challenge the Shanghai SIPG team, there would always be a lot of "bugs" in the pre-match training. For example, the Evergrande team was worried about the leakage of technical and tactical secrets and was unwilling to go to the training venues officially arranged by the AFC and the Chinese Super League. Instead, it went to the Kangqiao base where SIPG's Shanghai Derby rivals are located to conduct so-called secret training. The Evergrande team was also heavily fined by the AFC for violating relevant regulations. At that time, only the Guangzhou Evergrande team, the dominant team in the Chinese Super League, practiced "training wherever they want". This was a kind of dominance in the arena, and it was also the rich willfulness of the parent company behind it.
Evergrande’s training base in Qingyuan has many venues, and the club creates revenue by revitalizing its assets.
In the 2024 season, the Guangzhou Evergrande team opened its venue to rent out for "business" and even hung banners and slogans of its former rival Shanghai Harbor Team at its own base. In the past, this was completely impossible to achieve.
There is no doubt that when Evergrande was at its peak, no matter how much money SIPG paid, it was impossible to use Evergrande’s training base, let alone put a banner of “Shencheng Positive Energy” on the Evergrande base—— After all, there is no room for others to snore on the side of the bed. This humiliating act of boosting the morale of others and destroying one's own prestige would never have been possible for Guangzhou Evergrande at its peak.
Times have changed, and Evergrande, which is short of money, must survive first
Unfortunately, times have changed, and the Guangzhou Evergrande of today is not the Guangzhou Evergrande of that time. Today's Guangzhou Evergrande is at a historical low. Xu Jiayin, the head of Evergrande Group who used to focus on football business, and Liu Yongzhuo, the former club spokesman, have all had troubles one after another. Evergrande Football Club, which used to spend a lot of money, has long been picking up the slack. , The money must be compared.No money and lack of money are the biggest troubles for Guangzhou Evergrande, the former Chinese Super League hegemon.
On December 1, 2019, members of the Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao Team participated in the float parade after winning the championship. On the same day, in the 30th round of the 2019 Chinese Football Association Super League at Guangzhou Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao team defeated Shanghai Greenland Shenhua 3-0 at home and won the eighth championship. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Ming
In the 2023 season, the main players representing Evergrande in the Chinese League One are said to have a monthly income of just over 10,000 yuan, which is considered low in the entire Chinese League One - this kind of "frozen bones on the road", What a sharp contrast to Evergrande's "big family" who gave Zheng Zhi, Gao Lin, Feng Xiaoting and other core players nearly 20 million yuan in annual salary during their peak period. Even if it operates at a low cost, affected by total factors such as the parent company's cash flow rupture, Evergrande Football Club's operating funds are now very tight and it is unable to break even.
Many people have experienced this. When you are prosperous, you have friends everywhere, and everyone greets you with a smile; when you hit a trough, everyone disperses, afraid that you will ask them to borrow money. . A friend in need is a true friend, and a true friend can only be seen in times of need. When Guangzhou Evergrande was reduced to carrying goods through live broadcasts to raise funds to save itself, the Shanghai Harbor Team, a former competitor of Evergrande, actually staged a scene worth pondering.
On November 4, 2023, Shanghai Harbor team players celebrated with the cup at the award ceremony. On the same day, after the 30th round of the 2023 Chinese Football Association Super League held in Dalian, Liaoning, the Shanghai Haigang team was awarded the championship trophy. Shanghai Haigang team previously drew 1-1 with Shandong Taishan team in the 29th round of the 2023 Chinese Super League, winning the championship one round ahead of schedule. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Pan Yulong
During the 2024 winter training season, the Harbor team went from Shanghai to the Guangzhou Evergrande Base for training for 10 days yesterday, and then went to Hainan for a week of training. The soldiers in the seaport did not hesitate to travel and travel, but also budgeted part of the funds for winter training to be used almost "directly" at the Guangzhou Evergrande base. The intention is self-evident.
Obviously, when Evergrande fell into a trough, as long as it complied with the principles of market economy and the interests of the club, the Harbor team did not dwell on the so-called grievances of the past. Instead, it focused on the actual situation of its own training needs and provided gifts to Evergrande, which is now very short of money. Providing some funds and providing some support reflects a pragmatic attitude.
Some netizens expressed their opinions.
Some Guangzhou netizens suddenly realized the "winter training for poverty alleviation" approach and lamented: "Now is when the Guangzhou team needs money the most. Look at the previous opponents who took the initiative to send money to their door. In fact, they can go to winter training anywhere, but they come to Guangzhou. But those fair-weather brothers who used to fawn over Evergrande and have always regarded Evergrande as their elder brother, now, let alone giving money, turn against each other and add insult to injury. Sometimes the opponent is not necessarily the enemy. The enemy is often the person who seems to be the closest to him at ordinary times. . Only when you are in trouble can you see it."
may be backlashed, and the originator of Jinyuan Football has caused deep thought
Some neutral fans who are purely technical and tactical expressed the hope that Guangzhou Evergrande can overcome the difficulties. After all, the Jinyuan period of the Chinese Super League was the most exciting and exciting time. The most intense and beautiful competition is the "Heng Kong Hegemony" in 2017 and 2018. SIPG should be the first team to win the league trophy from Evergrande, and also the first Chinese Super League team to eliminate Evergrande in the AFC Champions League. Such a strong dialogue represented the highest level of the Chinese Super League at that time, and also Let the fans feast their eyes.
On November 3, 2018, Shanghai SIPG players celebrated a goal. On the same day, in the 28th round of the 2018 Chinese Football Super League, Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao lost to Shanghai SIPG 4-5 at home. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Deng Hua
On October 30, 2010, members of the Guangzhou Evergrande team celebrated winning the championship and successfully reaching the Super League. On that day, in the final round (26th round) of the 2010 Chinese Football League, Guangzhou Evergrande defeated Hunan Xiangtao 3-1 at home, winning the championship this season and successfully advancing to the Chinese Super League.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Dawei
Indeed, some fans hope that Guangzhou Evergrande football can turn the crisis around, re-emerge like Juventus, seize the Chinese Super League throne, and then re-interpret the "powerful competition" with Shanghai Harbor - although football It is just a pawn and a tool of Xu Jiayin and the Evergrande business empire, and it plays more of a role in brand marketing, image promotion, and resource blending. However, Evergrande football has at least left a mark in the history of the Chinese professional league.
However, this is just the best wish of the fans. The final fate of Guangzhou Evergrande still needs to be observed; right now, it is not the time to draw conclusions about Evergrande football. After the final public prosecution content of the rectification of the Chinese football industry is released, Evergrande Football may be characterized, and the club's future may have a relatively clear outline.
On November 9, 2013, Lippi (front center), then head coach of Guangzhou Evergrande, and captain Zheng Zhi jointly lifted the AFC Champions League trophy. Xinhua News Agency publishes
peak to generate false support, and witnesses true believers at dusk. There is nothing wrong with Evergrande players asking for their own wages. It is natural to pay back debts, which is also the basis for the operation of a society that emphasizes contracts and the rule of law. Fans go shopping for the team to help Evergrande avoid disbandment, and they also witness the persistence of supporters.
Looking back, the current situation of Evergrande is also a classic case of the dragon slayer eventually becoming the evil dragon. In 2010, Evergrande used a high-flying style of play to buy the bottom of Chinese football, and operated the football club with the real estate mentality of gold and dollar, and achieved great success; now, the person who curbs Evergrande's success is precisely Evergrande's spending money to provide benefits regardless of the cost. Players with sky-high contracts, as the initiator of Jinyuan Football, Guangzhou Evergrande may still be hit by the huge debt caused by its own money burning.
On November 21, 2015, the Guangzhou Evergrande team celebrated at the award ceremony. On the same day, in the second round of the 2014/2015 Asian Football Champions League final held at Guangzhou Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou Evergrande defeated Al Ahli of the United Arab Emirates 1-0 at home, with a total score of 1-0 in the two rounds for the second time. Lifted the AFC Champions League trophy. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Cao Can
The rise and fall of Evergrande Football is indeed thought-provoking and thought-provoking; on another level, Evergrande Football brings goods in the live broadcast room to raise funds to save itself, which is another typical Evergrande real estate-style marketing The case also bears witness to the loyalty and passion of die-hard fans. These low-level consumers who truly love football are worthy of respect after all.
