Guangzhou FC, China’s most successful football team and former Asian champions, has been expelled from the country’s professional leagues due to “heavy historical debt,” marking a significant chapter in the decline of domestic football in China.
The eight-time Chinese Super League (CSL) winners, once a dominant force in Asian football, were excluded from the Chinese Football Association’s (CFA) list of 49 teams eligible for the 2025 professional leagues. This follows years of financial struggles that have plagued the club and many others in the country.
Guangzhou FC, formerly Guangzhou Evergrande, had achieved unparalleled success, including seven consecutive CSL titles from 2011 to 2017 and two Asian Champions League victories. The club, managed at various times by illustrious figures like Marcello Lippi, Fabio Cannavaro, and Luiz Felipe Scolari, also broke records with expensive player acquisitions, including a $46 million deal for Jackson Martinez in 2016.
However, the fortunes of the club began to decline when their majority owner, Evergrande Real Estate Group, faced financial turmoil amid a slump in China’s property market. In 2022, Guangzhou was relegated to the second tier and saw the cancellation of a $1.86 billion stadium project.
Despite finishing third in the China League One in 2024, Guangzhou FC failed to secure promotion. In a statement released on Monday, the club apologized to fans and supporters, citing their inability to raise sufficient funds to clear debts.
The downfall of Guangzhou FC, alongside the collapse of other clubs like Jiangsu Suning, highlights the challenges facing Chinese football, once characterized by massive spending and ambitious projects that have now succumbed to financial instability.
