China: Evergrande extend dominance to seven years

APD NEWS

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Before the Evergrande Group took over in 2010, the club could hardly be considered a heavyweight in Chinese football and had been relegated four times from China's top flight. But a huge investment and excellent management sparked a dramatic turnaround that resulted in the record-setting team that we know now.

Guangzhou Evergrande played their first season in the Chinese Super League in 2010. South Korean coach Lee Jang-soo led the team to a dominant campaign, winning the title with four matches remaining. However, the dynamic duo of Dario Conca and Luiz Muriqui became a nightmare for the rest of the league.

Guangzhou got even stronger the following season when they lost only two matches on their way to claiming their second title and becoming the first team to win back-to-back titles since the top-tier league was modified to the CSL.

The South China club produced a surprise in 2012 when they introduced their new coach, Marcello Lippi. The World Cup-winning Italian took the team to a new level. They won their third CSL title in a row in 2013, and went on to win the AFC Champions League, becoming the first-ever Chinese club to do so.

More CSL teams began to follow in Evergrande's footsteps by spending big. But Lippi's men managed to stay on top and win another league title in 2014.

Another World Cup-winning coach took over the touchline midway through 2015, and Luiz Felipe Scolari did't let the fans down. Evergrande reached another climax under his guidance by winning the league title and their second AFC Champions League trophy in 2015, followed by a victory in the CSL in 2016. And with this latest CSL title, Brazilian legend Scolari has now earned seven trophies since he came to Guangzhou.

(CGTN)