GUANGZHOU, China // Marcello Lippi says Guangzhou Evergrande’s AFC Champions League win is a major boost for Chinese football, ending a drought for the nation’s clubs stretching back nearly a quarter of a century.
The World Cup-winning Italian coach, who already has multiple league titles and a Uefa Champions League win on his impressive CV, wrote his name into Chinese football history with the win on away goals after a 1-1 second leg home draw against FC Seoul on Saturday.
Evergrande reached the AFC final in impressive form, smashing eight goals past their semi-final opponents, Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol, after scoring freely throughout the tournament. They drew the first leg of the final 2-2 in Seoul.
“Winning this cup is very important for Chinese football,” said the silver-haired Lippi, now eyeing an unprecedented continental and domestic treble after romping to the league title in his first full season at the helm.
“From our side, we grew a lot and we tried to reach this level of being able to compete at international level with other teams.”
“We won again this year (the Chinese league), which is something positive for Chinese football and for Guangzhou Evergrande,” the 65-year-old added.
“We were able to do this two years in a row so the thing that we missed out last year that we recuperated this year is enough effort and will to win the Champions league.”
The last Chinese side to rule Asia were Liaoning, who won the former Asian Club Championship in 1990, before the long barren spell for China’s clubs.
Lippi’s men, who stormed to their third Chinese title, losing just one game and finishing a yawning 18 points ahead of runners-up Shandong Luneng, face Beijing Guoan in the domestic FA Cup semi-finals later this month.
Pundits have labelled Evergrande “the Manchester United of Asia” after the club emerged as a dominant force both at home and abroad, recovering from their relegation in 2010 for match-fixing.
Lippi joined Guangzhou last year after Korean Lee Jang-Soo had laid the groundwork for their resurgence and he has now won the top club competitions on two continents after success with Juventus in 1996.
South American flair – in the form of Argentine Dario Conca and Brazilians Elkeson and Muriqui – along with the bulk of the Chinese national team, have also helped Guangzhou reach the summit of Asian football.
And with the continued financial backing of one of China’s biggest property developers, Evergrande Real Estate Group, Lippi’s men will be looking to make an even bigger impact on the international stage.
Their Asian title gives Evergrande a place in December’s intercontinental Club World Cup in Morocco, when their reputation as an emerging “superclub” will be tested against the likes of Bayern Munich.
Football fans across China celebrated the victory but some cautioned that it had little bearing on the fortunes of the struggling national team.
The win for coach Marcello Lippi’s big-spending side sparked joy in China, with more than 13,000 people posting on the club’s official microblog. Most offered congratulations to the Chinese Super League champions.
“We’re confident to see the future of Chinese football because of you Evergrande,” a fan using the handle Yanjin Robert said in an Internet posting.
But some fans said the victory would do little to help the national side, which failed to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Brazil and are languishing at 97th in the world rankings.
“Even the Evergrande championship won’t change the third-class level of Chinese football. Chinese football will remain an onlooker in next year’s World Cup,” said Yang Er on his microblog.
“The Evergrande championship represents the pride of China, but does not stand for the level of Chinese football. Be more objective and calm down, get excited when we’re really stronger,” he added.
China finished behind Iraq and Jordan in their qualifying group for the 2014 World Cup, failing to make it through to the final stage of Asian qualifying.
Chinese football has also been tainted by years of corruption involving officials, referees and players.
A three-year investigation into match-fixing led to 33 people being banned for life and the Shanghai Shenhua club being stripped of the 2003 league title earlier this year.
Another fan added a sour note to the celebrations, saying the moneybags club had bought their success.
“Evergrande does not prove anything except they’re rich. They ‘purchased’ the coach and all key players of the team,” Ai Li Ze said.
“Is an Asian championship worth such high-profile celebration? We can’t even get an entry ticket to the World Cup.”
Scoreline:
Manchester City 1
Jesus 4'
Brighton 0
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more from Janine di Giovanni
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
RACECARD
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