Published : 2024-11-09
On November 9, 2013, the well-known Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande (now known as Guangzhou FC) won the AFC Champions League for the first time, becoming the first Chinese club to win the championship since the competition's restructuring in 2002.
The AFC Champions League is the highest-level club competition in Asian football, equivalent in status to Europe's UEFA Champions League and South America's Copa Libertadores.
The club that wins the championship would represent Asia in the FIFA Club World Cup held in the same year.
Guangzhou Evergrande is relatively strong among many Chinese clubs, benefiting from massive funding for expansion after being acquired by the Chinese Evergrande Group in 2010.
Its captain at the time was Zheng Zhi (鄭智), and the head coach was the renowned Italian manager Marcello Lippi.
At that time, Guangzhou Evergrande's final opponent was South Korea's FC Seoul.
The second leg of the final was held at the Guangzhou Tianhe Sports Centre, and both sides ended the first half in a 0-0 draw.
After switching sides, the match became more intense, with Guangzhou Evergrande breaking the deadlock in the 58th minute, but FC Seoul equalised just four minutes later. The score remained unchanged until the final whistle.
However, since the first leg away match between Guangzhou Evergrande and FC Seoul also ended in a 2-2 draw, the total score was 3-3.
As a result, Guangzhou Evergrande won the championship on the away goals rule (having scored more away goals).
