China project failed: the former mega stadium is now just a ruin

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Around 2016, the Chinese Super League was roughly what the Saudi league is now. European stars were lured to Asia with terrible wages – the league benefited in return from the attention that transfers like Oscar, Hulk, El Sharaawy, Paulinho and Co. have brought. In 2020, ex-Nati star Blerim Dzemaili (37) even followed the call of the Chinese – in ten months the now retired man will no longer be used by second division Shenzhen.

However, the China project failed miserably, at least since a salary cap was introduced for the players from the 2021 season. Guangzhou FC, formerly known as Guangzhou Evergrande, also failed or crashed. Between 2011 and 2019, the club won the championship eight times and could hardly be stopped.

1.57 billion euros through the drain

The highlight was the construction of a new house: the ‘Guangzhou Evergrande Football Stadium’ – a mega project that started in 2020. 100,000 spectators must be given space, equal to the largest football stadium in the world. The costs were estimated at about 1.57 billion euros. A stadium of superlatives.

Then the big crash. After the bankruptcy of main sponsor Evergrande, the financial resources to survive in the sport and to survive as a club were suddenly lacking. Construction of the stadium was halted in mid-2022 and the once great club was relegated a few months later. They now play in the lower midfield in the second division and have to make do with their previous home ground, the Tianhe Stadium, with a capacity of “only” 54,000 spectators.

The record stadium should have opened in December 2022. What remains is a large construction site – almost a ruin – surrounded by cranes and unused materials. It is a symbol of the crash, the end of a success story. (mo)

Source : Blick