With the toll of the bell marking the arrival of 2025, Guangdong football once again finds itself in the spotlight. The failure of Cangzhou Lions to pass the league entry review has paved the way for Meizhou Hakka to return to the Chinese Super League as a replacement. At the same time, Shenzhen Youth has successfully advanced to the China League One, adding another spark to the prosperity of Guangdong football. This year, eight teams from Guangdong Province will compete in domestic professional leagues, despite the fading of former powerhouse Guangzhou Evergrande. However, the vitality and competitiveness of Guangdong football remain undiminished.
Guangzhou Team, which has twice won the AFC Champions League and claimed the Chinese Super League title eight times, faces the crisis of dissolution due to its failure to pass the entry review. Yet, amidst despair, a glimmer of hope for rebirth quietly emerges. Guangzhou Dandelion Club, a rising star in the China League Two, has now become the last straw for Guangzhou Team to pin its hopes on.
The predecessor of Guangzhou Dandelion Club was Guangzhou Anhua, established by investor Pan Weisi after acquiring the youth team following the dissolution of Guangzhou City (formerly Guangzhou R&F). Starting from amateur leagues, it has steadily climbed to the China League Two, demonstrating its tenacity and potential. After securing promotion to the China League Two, Dandelion considered acquiring high-quality assets from Guangzhou Team but held off due to the possibility of Guangzhou Team passing the entry review at that time.
Now, with Guangzhou Team on the brink of dissolution, cooperation with Dandelion is back on the agenda. If both parties can successfully merge, it will not only help Guangzhou Team achieve a phoenix-like rebirth but also present a rare opportunity for Dandelion. Such collaboration will be beneficial for the integration and utilization of resources between the two teams, achieving mutual benefit and win-win results.
However, the path to cooperation is not without challenges. The primary difficulty lies in severing the ties between Guangzhou Club and Evergrande. In the past, Evergrande's reluctance to let go of the club hindered shareholding reforms. But now, circumstances have changed, and Evergrande's stance has softened, adding possibilities for cooperation.
Once the cooperation is achieved, outstanding players from Evergrande Football School will have the chance to join Dandelion collectively, infusing strong momentum for the team to challenge higher-level leagues. This not only meets the expectations of fans but also injects new vitality into Guangdong football.
Furthermore, from a practical operational perspective, Guangzhou Dandelion introducing players from Evergrande Football School while maintaining independent operations will effectively avoid direct association with Evergrande's debts. Thus, Guangzhou Dandelion can attract support from original Guangzhou Team fans while starting afresh, focusing solely on football.
Looking ahead, if Guangzhou Dandelion successfully acquires high-quality assets from Guangzhou Team, a new Guangzhou Team is expected to rise again in Chinese football. We look forward to the young players from Evergrande Football School seizing this opportunity to assist Dandelion in successfully advancing to the China League One next season and returning to the Chinese Super League as soon as possible, rekindling the former glory of Guangzhou football!