Guizhou Renhe, the China League One football club, saw its sponsorship deal expire recently. As stated in the media, the club may now relocate its home stadium to Beijing.
Over the years, the team has changed its name and location several times to accommodate their sponsors. At present, the team is based in Guiyang, Guizhou and their home stadium is the Guiyang Olympic Centre. Their current majority shareholder is the Chinese property development company, Renhe Commercial Holdings Company Limited.
Yet the team has had its triumphs in recent years. They defeated Guangzhou Evergrande to win the 2013 CFA Cup and 2014 CFA Super Cup. Indeed,in early 2012, its shirt sponsor Guizhou Moutai struck a three-year deal worth up to 50 million yuan annually.
However, the team was unsettled this year by frequent changes of managers and foreign players. The club has now been relegated to China League One, the second tier of Chinese clubs. In such circumstances, the deal expiration will lead to a decreased business return for the club next season. That’s also part of the reason why they are considering a relocation.
According to the Beijing News, the Beijing Football Association is open to facilitating Renhe’s relocation. Liu Jun, an acting director of Beijing Football Management Center, said they have no reason to refuse any football club. Guizhou indicated that they would respect the team’s decision on their future.
Source: The Beijing News
Proofread by John Devlin