Jim McGuinness is set to make a sensational move to China – to take up the assistant manager’s job at Beijing Sinobo Guoan. But just who are Beijing Sinobo Guoan?
Beijing Sinobo Guoan compete in the Chinese Super League and currently sit in seventh spot.
They face 11th placed Changchun Yatai tomorrow, when McGuinness will be traveling to China to take up his role on Monday. His first game as assistant coach to new manager Roger Schmidt will be a home game against League leaders Guangzhou Evergrande FC on Saturday-week.
Beijing Sinobo Guoan play at the 66,000 capacity Workers Stadium in Beijing and the club was one of the founding members of the first professional soccer League in China.
The club was formed in 1992 – the year in which a young McGuinness was part of the first Donegal squad ever to win an All-Ireland title.
Last year, Sinobo Group, participated the capital increase of the club for a reported 64% stake, making them the club’s largest shareholder. The club was officially renamed as Beijing Sinobo Guoan FC Co Ltd.
Managerial stability is not something associated with the club. Indeed, Schmidt is their seventh permanent manager since 2009. José González, Schmidt’s predecessor, was in charge from November 2016 until this month.
Former AC Milan Serie A-winning manager Alberto Zaccheroni had a five-month spell in charge during 2016.
Beijing won the Super League in 2009 and have been runners-up three times – in 2007, 2011 and 2014. Last season, they finished in fifth position.
The squad McGuinness will be working with is certainly not shy of international experience.
Burke Yılmaz, for instance, has scored 22 goals in 48 caps for Turkey, Ralf and Renato Augusto are Brazilian internationals, while Egor Krimets has played for Uzbekistan.
Further, the squad contains ten players who have been capped by China: Yu Yang, Zhang Chiming, Piao Cheng, Zhang Xizhe, Song Boxuan, Yu Dabao, Zhang Xinin, Yang Zhi, Lü Peng and Lei Tenglong.
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