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Jonathan White

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?

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

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.
Guangzhou Evergrande – China’s richest football club in need of bailout
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.

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.
Big-spending Guangzhou Evergrande seek government aid to survive
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.


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Evergrande’s women’s volleyball team fate uncertain amid financial trouble

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

Soccer Football - AFC Champions League - Group G - Vissel Kobe v Guangzhou Evergrande - Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah, Qatar - November 28, 2020 Guangzhou Evergrande's Ai Kesen celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari

Fabio Cannavaro says Chinese Super League was high quality, ‘but things changed’

Guangzhou midfielder Anderson Talisca slides on the pitch towards head coach Fabio Cannavaro to celebrate his goal during the 2019 AFC Champions League quarter-finals second leg against Kashima Antlers of Japan. Photo: AFP

(190110) -- ABU DHABI, Jan. 10, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Head Coach Marcello Lippi (R) and player Liu Yang of China's national football team attend a training session prior to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 group C match between China and the Philippines in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E, Jan. 10, 2019. (Xinhua/Ding Xu)

(FILES) This file photo taken on May 15, 2018 shows Tianjin Quanjian's head coach Fabio Cannavaro gesturing during the AFC Champions League round of 16 football match between China's Guangzhou Evergrande and Tianjin Quanjian in Guangzhou in China's southern Guangdong province. - The Chinese Super League (CSL) is in the throes of the most closely contested title race in its history with just three points separating the top four as they approach the home straight. Beijing Guoan and Shanghai SIPG share the top spot on equal points with the two sides meeting at the end of September 2018 in what is shaping up to be a championship six-pointer. (Photo by STR / AFP) / China OUT

(200102) -- BEIJING, Jan. 2, 2020 (Xinhua) -- File photo taken on Nov. 6, 2019 shows Li Tie, head coach of China, gestures during the training session ahead of 2019 East Asian Cup in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has appointed 42-year-old Li Tie as the head coach of the country's national team on a permanent basis. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

Fabio Cannavaro leaves Guangzhou FC amid Evergrande financial crisis

Guangzhou Evergrande’s head coach Fabio Cannavaro reacts during the 2018 AFC Champions League group stage football match against Japan's Cerezo Osaka. Photo: AFP

Guangzhou's coach Fabio Cannavaro throws away his jacket during the AFC Champions League group G football match between China's Guangzhou Evergrande and Korea's Suwon Samsung Bluewings on December 1, 2020 at the Khalifa International Stadium in the Qatari capital Doha. (Photo by - / AFP)

(180306) -- GUANGHZOU, March 6, 2018 (Xinhua) -- Head coach of Guangzhou Evergrande Fabio Cannavaro reacts during the Group G match between China's Guangzhou Evergrande and South Korea's Jeju United at the 2018 AFC Champions League in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong province, March 6, 2018. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

Guangzhou Evergrande – China’s richest football club in need of bailout

Huang Bowen celebrates netting Guangzhou Evergrande's equaliser against Japan's Gamba Osaka during the 2015 AFC Champions League semi-final first leg in Guangzhou. Photo: Xinhua

(FILES) This picture taken on November 21, 2015 shows China's Guangzhou Evergrande players celebrating their win in the AFC Champions League football final against UAE's Al Ahli in Guangzhou, in southern China's Guangdong province. The car company that sponsors the shirts of Asia's newly crowned football champions has launched legal action on November 24, against the club for changing their kit for the AFC Champions League final, the firm said. Chinese-Japanese joint venture Dongfeng Nissan paid more than 16 million USD for the season-long rights to Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao's apparel, according to China's official news agency Xinhua. CHINA OUT AFP PHOTO

(200830) -- DALIAN, Aug. 30, 2020 (Xinhua) -- Ai Kesen (2nd R) of Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao celebrates after scoring with teammate Fei Nanduo (1st L), Anderson Talisca (2nd L) and Paulinho during the 8th round match between Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao and Shanghai Greenland Shenhua at the postponed 2020 season Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) Dalian Division in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Aug. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)

Tianjin Quanjian's Anthony Modeste (C) fights for the ball with Guangzhou Evergrande's Feng Xiaoting (L) and Zheng Zhi (R) during the AFC Champions League round of 16 football match between China's Guangzhou Evergrande and Tianjin Quanjian in Guangzhou in China's southern Guangdong province on May 15, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / - / China OUT

(180306) -- GUANGHZOU, March 6, 2018 (Xinhua) -- Gao Lin of Guangzhou Evergrande celebrates after scoring during the Group G match between China's Guangzhou Evergrande and South Korea's Jeju United at the 2018 AFC Champions League in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong province, March 6, 2018. Guangzhou Evergrande won 5-3. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

This photo taken on November 15, 2017 shows the Brazilian head coach of China's Guangzhou Evergrande club, Luiz Felipe Scolari (C), gesturing to the crowd as he departs from Guangzhou's airport, in southern China's Guangdong province. The 69-year-old Brazilian, who was succeeded as coach last week by the Italian World Cup-winner Fabio Cannavaro, was a popular figure during his two-and-a-half years at the club from southern China. / AFP PHOTO / STR / China OUT

Fans of China's Guangzhou Evergrande gesture as they watch the AFC Champions League football match between China's Guangzhou Evergrande and Hong Kong's Eastern at Mongkok Stadium in Hong Kong on April 25, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Anthony WALLACE

(201112) -- SUZHOU, Nov. 12, 2020 (Xinhua) -- He Chao (L) of Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao vies with Alex Teixeira of Jiangsu Suning during the 20th round match between Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao and Jiangsu Suning at 2020 season Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) Suzhou Division in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Nov. 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

Fans of China's Guangzhou Evergrande hold up scarves in support of their team during the AFC Champions League football match between China's Guangzhou Evergrande and Hong Kong's Eastern at Mongkok Stadium in Hong Kong on April 25, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Anthony WALLACE

Sport

China


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



Guangdong Evergrande were founded a year before real estate giants took over Chinese Super League football club – now both clubs face questions over future.


China Evergrande Group

Chinese Super League