Evergrande will terminate the 8-year partnership with Guangdong Provincial sports bureau for Guangdong Evergrande women's volleyball team, a team affiliated to local sports bureau and sponsored by Evergrande. Women's volleyball Evergrande's another sports programme. pic.twitter.com/ty0fYCvyCz
— China Sports Vision 2050 (@CSV2050) September 30, 2021
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https://scmp.com/sport/china/article/3151783/evergrandes-womens-volleyball-team-fate-uncertain-amid-financial China
Evergrande’s women’s volleyball team fate uncertain amid financial trouble
- Guangdong Evergrande were founded a year before real estate giants took over Chinese Super League football club
- China legend Lang Ping was first coach as team won domestic league and finished third at 2013 Club World Championship
Former Guangdong Evergrande coach Lang Ping watches her China team during the women's volleyball preliminary round match between China and Italy at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo: Xinhua
When it comes to the impact of the ongoing financial crisis at China Evergrande Group the focus has been on football.
What will happen to the Chinese Super League giants, the eight-time champions of China and twice champions of Asia?
What will happen to their Chinese national team players such as Zheng Zhi, Wei Shihao and Zhang Linpeng and the naturalised footballers Elkeson, Ricardo Goulart, Ty Browning and Alan Carvalho?
What is the fate of the club’s new stadium, set to be the biggest football specific stadium in the world?
What will happen to the Evergrande Football School, the world’s biggest academy?
These are all among the valid questions that have been asked – if not yet answered – but there are questions beyond football when it comes to Evergrande and sport.
Chief among them is the women’s volleyball team Guangdong Evergrande.
Founded in 2009, Evergrande’s involvement with the volleyball team predates its take over of Guangzhou Evergrande Football Club by a year.
In much the same way that it later built the football team, Evergrande signed the Chinese national teams star players – Hui Ruoqi, Feng Kun, Yang Hao and Zhou Suhong – all joined early on – and big-name foreigners.
Guangzhou Evergrande's Elkeson celebrates scoring in the AFC Champions League. Photo: Reuters
Chinese volleyball legend Lang Ping was hired as the club’s first head coach, staying in the role for five years.
During her time in charge the club won the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Super League in the 2011-12 season, with runners-up finishes in 2010-11 and 2012-13.
They also finished third in the FIVB Club World Championship in 2013, beating Volero Zurich to bronze.
That same year Lang was also the head coach of China’s women’s volleyball team – a move that would later be repeated with the men’s national football team and the CSL side under Fabio Cannavaro.
Originally the club was backed by Evergrande before being partnered with the local sports bureau but the imperilled real estate giants have reportedly walked away from the Shenzhen-based volleyball club.
It is also reported that former France national team coach Fang Yan has walked away from the Guangdong side after four seasons in charge.
Like the football club, Chinese media reports suggest it is unclear as to what will happen to the volleyball side in the coming season, which begins next month, and the fate of those employed.