Guangzhou FC have been relegated from the Chinese Super League after a 4-1 defeat to Changchun Yatai – a quite remarkable feat considering their reputation.
Guangzhou FC, formerly known as Guangzhou Evergrande, have been one of the most dominant teams in China over the past decade, lifting eight CSL titles in 11 years.
They last lifted the league trophy in 2019 as rivals Beijing Guoan finished second but in a dramatic fall from grace, Zheng Zhi's side have mathematically been relegated after a humiliating defeat to Changchun Yatai on Tuesday.
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They currently sit in 17th place after picking up just three wins from 33 games.
From 2011 onwards, Guangzhou were one of China's top spenders when the league began to invest heavily. They signed Darío Conca from Brazilian side Fluminense during the 2011/12 campaign and the floodgates opened.
Jackson Martinez shocked world football when he turned down offers from a host of European clubs to sign for Guangzhou. The Colombian striker left Atletico Madrid to join for a club-record fee of €42 million in 2016.
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And months earlier, the club moved to sign Brazilian midfielder Paulinho from Premier League outfit Spurs, splashing €14 million to secure his services.
In terms of other big arrivals, Talisca penned a deal with the Chinese side after signing from Benfica in 2018 for €19.2 million, and Paulinho re-joined the club in 2019 for €42 million.
Here's a top 10 list of their record arrivals courtesy of Transfermarkt.
The Chinese Super League are responsible for some of the biggest transfers in recent times.
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Argentine forward Ezequiel Lavezzi became the highest earner in CSL history when he joined Hebei China Fortune. In fact, nobody has pocketed more since.
The former Napoli man, who completed his move to China from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2016, earned a reported £798,000 a week during his three-year spell at the Langfang Stadium.
If those numbers are indeed correct, then Lavezzi picked up £41.5million a year in the CSL, where he scored 35 goals in 74 games before announcing his retirement at the end of November in 2019.
Carlos Tevez also earned a reported £634,615-per-week during his time at Shanghai Shenhua, while former Chelsea midfielder Oscar pocked £500,000-per-week at Shanghai SIPG.
It looks unlikely that anybody will surpass Lavezzi's overall earnings after the Chinese Super League imposed a salary cap on foreign signings last year to 'curb money football' and support the national team.
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Thoughts on the news surrounding Guangzhou FC's relegation?
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Featured Image Credit: Guangzhou/AlamyTopics: Chinese Super League, Transfers
