2013: Guangzhou Evergrande kicks off a decade of splendor and controversy
On November 9, 2013, Guangzhou Evergrande lifted the first AFC Champions League trophy in the team's history, which not only marked the first time the Chinese Super League won the AFC Champions League, but also opened a new chapter in the nearly decade-long Guangzhou Evergrande dynasty and the Chinese Super League. Now that the AFC Champions League has entered its 10th anniversary, even though today's Guangzhou team did not hold a grand commemoration, those heroes who fought for the title, such as Rong Hao, have shared commemorative videos through social media, evoking the collective memories of a generation of Chinese Super League (CSL) fans, with the videos popping up of legendary players such as Zheng Zhi, Paulinho, Ekerson and Zeng Cheng.
However, in this commemoration, there were also criticisms and accusations. Some members of the media pushed Guangzhou Evergrande into the limelight, accusing it of being the "main culprit" for the decline of Chinese soccer. It is undeniable that Guangzhou Evergrande's huge investment once boosted the prosperity of the domestic league, but this prosperity was built on a false foundation. By importing international players at high prices, Guangzhou Evergrande created a super team, which in turn triggered other clubs to blindly follow its money-burning behavior.
The gold-dollar soccer model has had a serious impact on the cultivation of young players. Although Evergrande Soccer School has contributed to the cultivation of young people, the introduction of big-name foreign aid has crowded out the growth space of young players. During the past ten years, China's soccer has made few breakthroughs in many fields, and the disadvantages of gold dollar soccer have gradually appeared, and the current situation of China's soccer has also proved this point. Evergrande's golden dollar soccer model has drained ten years of soccer's vitality, leaving behind only memories and two AFC Champions League trophies.
Admittedly, the owner of Guangzhou Evergrande may have had some selfishness when he implemented the golden dollar soccer strategy at that time. Combined with the owner's current situation and looking back, we find that the club's massive investment at that time did not come from the group or the owner himself, but borrowed funds. Had it not been for the huge debts, Guangzhou Evergrande might not have been blamed too much. However, the owner's current predicament, and the mistakes he has made, have pushed the gold-dollar soccer model into the limelight.
Nevertheless, we still need to treat Guangzhou Evergrande differently from today's Guangzhou team. The club itself is not at fault, and the same goes for today's Guangzhou team. Today's Guangzhou team is more pure, focusing on soccer itself, and is self-sustaining without the intervention of the group. This kind of independent and autonomous business model is more worthy of respect. Looking ahead, it may take a long time for the domestic league to regain its vitality. It is hoped that clubs will pay more attention to the essence of soccer when investing.
