Team bus of CSL leaders Beijing Guoan seized over debt issues, players forced to hire bikes
Advertisement
Pictures on social media on Friday showed the team bus being towed away with its door bearing a seal from the Beijing Intermediate People's Court.
Images then started circulating on Chinese social media showing three of the club's foreign players hiring shared bikes and riding away from the training complex wearing their kit.
The real estate company Sinobo Group holds a 64 per cent stake in Beijing Guoan and reportedly owes more than 3.68 billion yuan (US$502 million).
Despite the off-field issues, Guoan invested heavily in the build-up to the 2025 season, including bringing in former Barcelona manager Quique Setien to lead the team, as well as seven first-team players.
Three of the club's foreign players have been pictured hiring shared bikes. Photo: Handout
At the halfway stage of the current CSL season, Guoan have yet to lose a match, winning 10 and drawing five to top the league on goal difference. Shanghai Shenhua are second.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
2 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump's trade war could push Asia to pivot more towards home
Export-oriented countries in Asia are about to bear the brunt of the US trade war . Early August tariffs are starting to rack up costs for importers and consumers, along with disrupted trade flows, rising prices for goods and ultimately falling demand. Amid this pain lies an opportunity to pivot towards a consumer-led economy. Countries in Asia that rely too heavily on US markets can create a path towards more sustainable growth and insulate their economies against the vicissitudes of capricious US policies Trump's new tariff regime, one not seen in nearly a century, is now taxing most of the goods coming into the United States. Consumers and importers are taking notice as core inflation and producer prices are rising . There was a temporary import surge to get ahead of the new tax regime. Once that initial flush of economic activity fades, the deep ruts of a slowdown will become readily apparent. For many countries in the region, China's recent struggle with growth adds to the trade uncertainty. China's domestic market was sizing up to be a growth engine on a par with, and possibly exceeding, the US with increasing trade flows. However, recent economic indicators, coupled with constraints on domestic demand, suggest China alone is unlikely to buoy the rest of the region in a broader slowdown in exports to the US. Amid all the uncertainty, many countries in Asia have an opportunity to reconsider their export-led economic policies of the past. Where political forces have favoured the status quo, a dramatic downturn in trade opens the door to alternative economic models. Countries including Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, as well as advanced economies such as Japan and South Korea, can turn to their underdeveloped domestic markets as opportunities as the US sours. There is ample room for consumer-led growth . More than two-thirds of US gross domestic product value is attributable to domestic consumption. Household consumption in Asian countries accounts for roughly 48 per cent to 58 per cent of their GDP, according to World Bank data. China comes in at only 40 per cent. Every percentage point is billions of dollars in economic activity.
South China Morning Post
2 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
Saudi Super Cup: Cristiano Ronaldo's in Hong Kong, but who else is coming?
Hong Kong is this week playing host to the Saudi Super Cup, which is why Cristiano Ronaldo is in town. Advertisement The tournament has been running annually since 2013 but this is the third edition of its four-team format. It brings together the winners and runners-up from the Saudi Pro League and the country's King's Cup in a mini-tournament, comprising two semi-finals and a final at Hong Kong Stadium. Hong Kong is its third overseas host city after London – three times – and Abu Dhabi. Al-Nassr will play Al-Ittihad on Tuesday in the first semi-final. Al-Qadsiah will take on Al-Ahli on Wednesday in the second. Let's take a look at the teams taking part. Al-Ittihad Manager: Laurent Blanc
South China Morning Post
7 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong businessman charged with fraud, wife bailed in water procurement scandal
A 61-year-old Hong Kong businessman has been remanded in custody after being charged with defrauding the government to secure a HK$52.9 million (US$6.8 million) contract for supplying drinking water to its offices. Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu acknowledged on Tuesday that the procurement deal had 'shortcomings' and said a task force he chaired would meet this week for discussions. Police escorted Lui Tsz-chung, who claims to be a businessman, to Eastern Court to face a charge of fraud. His 57-year-old wife, Chan Pik-lam, also arrested over the weekend, was released on bail and required to report to police in mid-September. Used water bottles marked 'XinLe' at the Hong Kong Squash Centre. Photo: Jelly Tse The married couple was accused of submitting false claims through their company, Xin Din Xin Trade, with the intent of securing the HK$52.9 million water tender to supply bottled water to government offices on Hong Kong Island and some outlying islands.
