Guangzhou FC, once China’s leading professional football club and a symbol of the country’s aspirations in the sport, has been dropped from the national league after a drawn-out saga related to the collapse of property developer China Evergrande, which bought the team in 2010.
The club — which won eight national league titles from 2011-2019, topped Asia’s Champions League twice and drew in names such as Brazil’s Robinho and Italian coach Marcello Lippi — failed to meet financial entry requirements.
In a statement that referred to Guangzhou and two other ineligible clubs — the Cangzhou Mighty Lions and the Hunan Billows — the Chinese Football Association cited wage arrears and debt issues.
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