Guangzhou City Information

Guangzhou City plays its home games at the Yuexiushan Stadium, which has a capacity of 18,000, the smallest in the Chinese Super League. Nicknamed the Blue Lions, the club is managed by Dutch manager Jean-Paul van Gastel, who replaced Giovanni Van Bronckhorst in January 2021.

Guangzhou is one of two teams in the Guangzhou region, and its main rival is Guangzhou Evergrande, one of China’s most successful teams. The two compete in the Canton Derby.

Tang Miao is the club’s all-time appearance leader. The midfielder has made over 200 appearances for the club. The team’s top scorer is Eran Zahavi, who has found the back of the net 103 times for Guangzhou City. 

The club has two star players in its squad in the form of ex-Spurs and Belgium icon Mousa Dembélé and Brazilian midfielder Guilherme. Much will depend on the form of these two players if Guangzhou City is to be in the running for major honors for the first time in its history.

Guangzhou City History

Guangzhou City has one of the most interesting histories in all the clubs of the Chinese Super League. 

Founded in 1986 as Shenyang Football Team, the club was also based in Shenyang until 2007, when the club then moved to Changsa. The team’s stay in Changsa was brief – in 2010, the team was bought by American sports apparel company MAZAMBA. Under new ownership, the club moved to Shenzhen, before new owners Guangzhou R&F moved the club to Guangzhou in 2011. It has been based there ever since.

Guangzhou does not hold any titles. It finished in the runner-up spot of China League One in 1991 and 2011. Guangzhou City has been ever-present in the Super League since 2012, with its highest finish being third place in 2014.