TOP STORIES - The fall of the Asian Titan Guangzhou Evergrande FC

The Chinese Eldorado, Guangzhou FC has long embodied it. For the past ten years, the Chinese Super League has dominated local football - winning the championship 8 times, the Cup twice and the Supercup 3 times - but also continental, with 2 Asian Champions League to its name.

Under the leadership of coaches such as Marcello Lippi, Luiz Felipe Scolari or Fabio Cannavaro, the club has also attracted many great players during their spells. 

We can named Dario Conca, Lucas Barrios, Alberto Gilardino, Alessandro Diamanti, Robinho, Paulinho, Anderson Talisca or Jackson Martinez, all attracted by hefty salaries and preferential tax conditions. To recruit the Colombian, then at Atlético de Madrid, they did not hesitate to put nearly € 42 million on the table in 2016! But all that, today, is over.

Evergrande Real Estate Group, the club's main shareholder, is experiencing an unprecedented crisis, posting colossal debts of the order of 300 billion dollars according to the Chinese press. The group is said to have even appealed for government help to avoid bankruptcy. The situation is therefore very critical and the future of the club is directly concerned.

If they should be allowed to finish the season (they finished the first leg in 2nd place in Group A, with top scorer Elkeson, 11 goals, in his ranks), Guangzhou FC could well be shut down. once the championship is over, just like what happened to Jiangsu Suning a few months ago. And even if another company took over, the club would have to drastically review its lifestyle and put an end to high-sounding transfers. The Chinese Eldorado has had its day