In September 2024, an official announcement from the Chinese Football Association (CFA) shed some light on the anti-corruption efforts in Chinese football, particularly on the "Hao Wei Line." The notice explicitly stated that Guo Tianyu had sought improper benefits, engaged in improper transactions, manipulated football matches, and obtained illegal gains. Consequently, he was handed a lifetime ban from participating in any football-related activities.
However, this punishment was predicated on Guo still being a Chinese football player. What was peculiar was that after Shandong removed him from their roster in August, Chiangrai United of the Thai League (T1) announced on August 8 that Guo had joined the team as a free agent.
After joining Chiangrai United, Guo Tianyu made consecutive appearances for the team and even secured a starting position at one point. However, his performance significantly declined, with ten games yielding no goals or assists.
On August 25, during the third round of the T1 League, Guo made his debut. On October 4, Chiangrai United hosted Nan Bunnok Warriors, with Guo starting for the team. It is worth noting that the CFA had already issued its ban on Guo at this time.
The awkward part was that Guo completely disregarded the ban; since he was in Thailand, the CFA could not enforce it, and FIFA essentially turned a blind eye, making the ban seem like a joke.
On January 15, 2025, in the 17th round of the T1 League, Chiangrai United lost away to Buriram United, with Guo coming off the bench. This marked his return to the field after more than two months since November of the previous year, rendering the ban effectively meaningless.
Naturalization
Amidst all this, the most astonishing news was the potential naturalization of Guo Tianyu by Thailand. Indonesia's naturalization policy has been almost fanatical.
In October 2024, Indonesia's national team roster included thirteen naturalized players, mostly midfielders and defenders playing in European leagues. Currently, only Struijk from A-League's Brisbane Roar and Olatunji from Belgian First Division A's Dender play in the forward positions.
Given this situation, Guo Tianyu would be an excellent choice for Indonesia's naturalization, even though whether he can truly represent the team in international competitions remains uncertain. This does not deter them from their desire to strengthen their forward line.
Guo's team, Chiangrai United, is currently in the relegation zone, yet they seem to have an unreserved fondness for the tall striker who cannot score. On January 12, ahead of Chiangrai United's match against Port FC, the club released a solo poster featuring Guo Tianyu.
This move seems to openly declare, "We still value this tall guy. Despite not scoring any goals so far, the team has not abandoned him due to unimpressive statistics."
Guo's rare height advantage in the T1 League has generated great anticipation among Thai football fans for his potential naturalization. Guo, who has never played in an A-level match for the Chinese national team, could officially become a player for the Thai national team at the age of 29, based on the time he arrived in the T1 League.
Considering that 29 is the prime age for professional footballers, it is entirely possible that he could wear the Thai national team jersey to face China and defeat them with a goal.
Decline
It is fair to say that many people found it hard to imagine Guo Tianyu ending up in his current state. As a standout from the Luneng '99 youth training program, his football career started at a high level.
However, a hefty fine from the CFA in 2019 almost defined the rest of Guo's career. In September of that year, the CFA suddenly announced that Guo's eligibility to be called up to national teams at all levels was canceled for six months, and he was banned from participating in CFA-organized competitions for six months.
The reason given was that Guo was free-spirited and lacked team spirit in the stands, and his inappropriate remarks had a negative impact on the image of the U22 national team. At the time, many people sympathized with him, seeing him as a rising star who could not bear such a heavy penalty.
That season, he was loaned to Wuhan Zall, where the head coach was Li Tie. Under the CFA's punishment, Guo only made sixteen appearances for Wuhan, contributing just one assist.
In 2020 and 2021, Guo returned to Shandong and showed signs of recovery. That year, he helped Shandong Luneng win both the Chinese Super League and the FA Cup. Everyone had high hopes for his future, even believing he could become a symbol of Chinese football.
Later, he was instructed to go abroad to Portugal, which was a strange event. The CFA facilitated his move to Vizela in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. However, without the strict supervision of domestic coaches, Guo's weight skyrocketed, his training became perfunctory, and his match performance plummeted, leading to Vizela releasing him.
In the summer of 2022, after a dismal end to his time in Portugal, Guo returned to China and completed the registration procedures for the Chinese Super League, helping his team secure the runner-up spot.
But it seemed that was the end of the story. Things took a dramatic turn in 2023, with Guo being officially delisted by his team in August. Along with him, former Shandong players like Jin Jingdao and head coach Hao Wei also disappeared.
Chinese football's anti-corruption campaign has at least two main lines of investigation. While the "Li Tie-Chen Xu Yuan" line has been thoroughly exposed, the "Hao Wei-Jin Jingdao" line remains shrouded in mystery, perhaps hiding the key reasons why Guo could still play for Chiangrai United despite his ban.
As for Guo's potential naturalization, it is not impossible. His regular appearances in the T1 League suggest that FIFA is turning a blind eye, making naturalization only a matter of time if there is genuine interest.
For someone who can no longer return to China as a football player, if Indonesia extends an olive branch, naturalization might not be a bad choice, especially considering the attractive offers Indonesia is likely to make.